Hearts on the Ocean
by Mlle. Phoenix Fox
Summary: We've heard Rose's story. But the modern day side of the story had a romance as well. A romance that even defied death itself. Full summary inside.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note:_

_This fic is dedicated to the 1500 souls that lost their lives 100 years ago. I only own my added subplot and my OC. The rest is owned by James Cameron, especially the dialogue that was borrowed from his original draft of his fantastic movie. I have been fascinated with Titanic ever since I saw the film fifteen years ago so I thank Mr. Cameron for the wonderful service he has done the world by taking us on that maiden voyage and making Titanic live again in our hearts. And since I've always been fascinated by the modern day side of Titanic as well, this is where the inspiration from this fic came from. So without further ado, here's the summary._

_Dr. Rebecca Lovett a marine archiologist, joins her older brother Brock searching the remains of the Titanic for artifacts. While Brock is searching for the famed Heart of the Ocean, Rebecca manages to get her hands on Thomas Andrews blueprints for the titanic. But when the ghost of Thomas Andrews starts haunting her, Rebecca is the only one who can see and hear him. Can she help the famed shipbuilder find peace? Or will they find something unexpected?_

_flames and kisses, _

_Mlle. P. Fox_

* * *

1993

She felt out of place. Then again she always felt out of place. Her mother always said that she had been born in the wrong time. Maybe that's why she was in the line of work she was in.

"Becca!" came the voice of her brother. Becca smiled at her tall handsome brother. He was a good fifteen years older than her. And despite the slight gray at his temples and the pronouced crows feet, Brock still looked like the sun soaked kid from Florida. His tan certainly stuck out like a sore thumb admist the pale native english of Southhampton. And since she almost never strayed from her lab back at the University, she actually looked as she belonged with her pale skin. She certainly didn't look like his baby sister.

"Hey Brock." Becca smiled giving her brother a hug.

"Hey kiddo. How was the trip?" he asked.

"Long. Even longer considering I was so curious about what was so important that I had to take a sabatical for it." Becca said.

"Come on let's sit down." he said gesturing to a small wooden table. Becca sat down, absorbing the small pub as she did.

"You know this pub The Grapes? Six crewmen are said to have been drinking here when they missed the Titanic sailing out." Becca commented.

"I know that's why I chose it." Brock replied. She furrowed her brow at him and laughed,

"Since when are you interested in the Titanic?"

"Since I found this." Brock replied pulling out a folder from his knapsack. She opened it and saw an old receipt.

"Careful. It's eighty years old..." Brock said. Intriqued, Becca looked at it and saw it was a recepit of purchase from a jeweler in Paris. A purchase for a 56 karet blue diamond called le couer de la mar'.

"The Heart of the Ocean? Brock..." groaned Becca.

"Come on Becs, this is the chance of the lifetime!" Brock said.

"I'm not helping you become a grave robber!" Becca snapped standing up and storming out of the pub.

"Rebecca!" Brock called after her gathering his artifact and chasing after her. He found her walking down the cobblestones in the dark night air.

"Three thousand miles just so that you can try to con me into joining you on one of your crazy treasure hunts!" Becca ranted.

"Becca...this isn't a crazy treasure hunt. I fully intend to donate all Titanic artifacts we find to a museum." Brock insisted blocking her path.

"Except the Heart of the Ocean right?" Becca nodded.

"No that will go too...for a generous finders fee." Brock said with Becca joining in for the last part of the sentence. Becca sighed and moved around him.

"Ever since we were kids you were obessessed with treasure hunting. Ever since you found that dubloon on the beach. But this isn't pirate gold Brock. the Titanic should be a memorial. And I will not help you desicrate it's memory as you hunt for some lousy diamond." Becca said.

"Becca don't you get it? that's why I need you! You're the marine archeologist. You know how to perserve these artifacts. And they do need perserving Becs. I talked to a buddy of mine who is a marine biologist. He says the Titanic and everything down there is turning to rust. There won't be a Titanic to remember for much longer. If we can pull up artifacts we can honor the memory. Now I got an investor and a crew but you're the best archelogist I know. I need your help Becs. Come on I know you've been dreaming of going down there every since they found the wreckage five years ago." Brock pleaded blocking her path again.

Becca looked up at him and sighed. He was giving her the big puppy dog eyes. And he was making sense. Darn him.

"Crap." she replied.

* * *

Six months later...

She was flying...over the ocean waves...over the Kaldesh...down into the water...down past the darkness. The great ship loomed before her, like a skeleton in the darkness. Suddenly in a flash of light the ship was restored and the remnants of the halls repaired themselves to their former opulant glory. She found herself in the smoking parlor with rich wood paneling and nautical details. And there before an opulant fireplace with a small mantal clock was a man. A tall man with gray curly hair and broad shoulders that just as he was about to turn to her, vanished before her when the room darkened and water came rushing through the windows.

Becca gasped in fright as she woke from the dream. But seeing she was safe in her bunk again, she sighed and flopped back down. Suddenly a knock came on her door and she shouted,

"Yeah..."

A dark haired man poked his head in and said,

"Becca, they're back!"

"Okay Bobby...I'm coming!" Becca said tossing back the covers and brushing past him.

"Uh...Becca?" Bobby interrupted.

"What?" she asked spinning around and putting her hands on her hips.

"Don't you want to put some pants on?" he asked with a snicker. She looked down and blushed seeing she was in nothing but her t-shirt, socks and boyshort underwear. She pulled her t-shirt down over her botttom and replied,

"Right..."

* * *

A few minutes later, (and wearing jeans) Becca met her brother as he was climbing out of the hatch from the Mir 1 submersible.

"Well?" Bobby asked.

"No ice yet Bobby." Brock sighed.

"The investors are getting nervous..." Bobby told him.

"It's eighty years of ocean floor over a mile wide. This expedition could take years to find one little diamond." Becca said in defense.

"It's not a little diamond Doc. It's 56 carets. That makes it a big diamond." said Lewis Bodine, their ROV pilot.

"Becs right guys. There's a lot of ground to cover. Just tell the investors to be patient alright?" Brock told Bobby.

"Right. And Petre? Get this thing gased up again. Test all the equipment. Dive two is gonna happen tonight." Becca told a passing crewman.

"Yes Doctor." he replied in a thick russian accent.

"You know Becs...we could find the diamond faster if we..." Brock cleared his throat and began.

"We're not increasing the number of dives Brock." she replied.

"Oh come on! Why not?" Brock groaned.

"It's a five hour round trip and takes up way too much fuel. And the wreck sight is too fragile for more than two subs at a time. So the answer is no!" Becca said.

"Not even for a bribe?" Brock said.

"Like what?" she asked.

"Like a dive down to A-36 suite..."Brock offered.

"Thomas Andrews suite? You found it?" Becca asked. Brock chuckled. For as long as Becca had been obsessed with titanic, she had been fascinated with the ships builder, Thomas Andrews. there was a pull he had on her that couldn't be explained. Sometimes Brock thought his sister had a crush on a ghost.

"I'll tell you where it is if you agree to let us increase the dives..."Brock said.

"That's blackmail." she said.

"That's business Sis." he shrugged. Becca looked at Lewis and Bobby and sighed.

"Crap." she said before continuing on her way.

"Ha ha! We're getting closer boys!" Brock said.

"But you are showing me that suite right now Brock Nathanial Lovette or I'll deck you!" she threatened with a betraying laugh.

"Right behind ya Sis." Brock said.

* * *

Hours later, Becca was sitting next to Lewis who was using the 3d technology and the remote control hands to guide the robot through the Andrews suite.

"Anything in particular we're lookin' for Doc?" Lewis asked.

"I'll let you know when I see it..." Becca said her eyes scanning the screen. The ruins were gray with decay and full of sand and sediment. The lights on the robot moved over an old brass bed and a wardrobe. Rusticles hung from the ceiling and crawled up the walls. The small robot shifted aside the remains of a table where they saw some rolled up papers lightly bounce around.

"Hello." Lewis said.

"Gotcha..." Becca said with a smile.

* * *

Climbing out of the sub, Becca searched the decks for her brother only to find him talking on the phone. She waved Bobby over with an excited grin.

"Please tell me you found the diamond?" he asked.

"It's just as good. I found Thomas Andrews' personal blueprints for the Titanic in his cabin!" Becca replied.

"Wow...that's great! We might actually learn something about the old girl without having to rely on pictures for the Olympia." Bobby said.

"Not only that, but we can have a great insight into the mind of the man who built the Titanic. Think of what this could mean Bobby! " Becca asked.

"I am. But Dave and Barry aren't just paying for history here Becca..." Bobby began to lecture. But Becca stopped listening when she looked over Bobby's shoulder and saw a strange man leaning aganist the Keldysh's railing. He was tall and handsome, with curly gray hair and dressed in a suit with a long duster coat. His brown eyes locked with hers in confusion.

"Hey! Who's that?" Becca asked pointing to him. Bobby looked behind him and saw no one. He shrugged.

"I don't see anyone." he said.

"Don't see him? Bobby I know it's dark out but he's right..."Becca said looking again. Only she stopped talking when she saw the man had vanished.

"Huh..." she said.

"It's been a long night. Why don't you turn in?" Bobby suggested.

"Not until I see those blueprints." she said turning back to the task at hand, trying to put the incident of the stranger behind her. She instructed the team to bring the artifacts inside and to start clean up and preservation on the blueprints immediately. As the hours past, the more and more excited she got. Handwritting was revealed and so far it matched up perfectly to Thomas Andrews. One by one the techs and crew went below to get some rest, leaving Becca alone in the lab. The blueprints uncovered now, Becca couldn't stop looking at them. She was pulled out of her thoughts when she heard someone walking past on the metal decks. She looked up and her eyes went wide seeing the strange man again!

"Hey!" she called. The man stopped his walk and looked at her. He waited for her to come out of the lab and onto the deck.

"Good evening." he said with a slight Irish brough. ignoring him (and the way his voice sent shivers down her spine) she snapped at him,

"This is a rescricted area. You shouldn't be here."

"My apologies. I'm not sure how I survived but it's a miracle that I did. Please Miss you must get the captain of your vessel to plot a course for the Titanic." he said.

"The Titanic?" she asked.

"Please miss! We struck an iceberg and she sunk. Two thousand souls are freezing to death." he said with passionate conviction.

"Okay who are you?" Becca asked.

"Thomas Andrews but please Miss we're wasting time." he said. To his wonder she began to laugh.

"Aw man you had me going there for a second...So seriously. Who are you? Did Lewis hire you?" she asked.

"Nevermind. I'll find the captain myself. What sort of vessel is this anyway? What company is it with?" he asked over his shoulder as he walked away.

"Wait a minute! You're not going anywhere pal until you answer some questions." Becca said stomping up and blocking his path.

"I've told you all you need to know Miss. Please we're wasting time." he said trying to control his temper.

"Ok I'll play along. Sorry to tell you this Mr. Andrews...but you're about eighty years too late. The titanic sank on April 14th 1912. And over 1500 people lost their lives. So why don't you tell Lewis that mocking them by hiring some two bit actor to play a joke on me is not funny." she said in anger.

"1500?...eighty years?" he asked in shock. He put a hand to his forehead and turned to the railing.

"It can't be true." he finally said.

"Look it's over okay? go to Lewis and tell him the joke didn't work." she said.

"This isn't a joke miss. I am Thomas Andrews. And the last thing I remember is hearing the roar of water rush in around me as Titanic floudered." he said.

"So what does that make you then? A ghost?" she scoffed folding her arms.

"Hah! I'm as much as a spirit as you are a lady." he snapped. She didn't know why she was insulted. What he said was nothing scandallous. Certainly not the worst language she heard on this ship. But it was the rude tone he used that made her snap. She raised her hand to slap him across the face. Only to recieve the shock of her life when her hand went through him like vapor. She gasped in horror while he looked at her hand in shock. Then he looked into her eyes and raised a hand to her face. When his hand went through her face she couldn't help but let out a terrified scream. Then she fainted.

"Becca?" called Brock rushing up to the deck with bobby and lewis on his tail. To his own wonder the ghost of Thomas Andrews vanished as Brock knelt beside his sister's still form.

"Becca? Rebecca? What's wrong? Come on Becca snap out of it!" Brock urged her gently slapping her face. Watching overhead from a gangway above them, Thomas Andrews was coming to grips with the fact that he was indeed dead...dead and buried with the Titanic and 1500 other souls.

***

"Ooh..." Becca groaned as her eyelids fluttered open.

"Hey...welcome back." Brock said with a smile.

"What happened?" she asked.

"You screamed and then fainted. Klunk! Care to fill us in on the details?" Lewis said dryly.

"What scared you up there Becs?" Brock asked helping his baby sister sit up in her bunk.

"Brock...do you believe in ghosts?" she asked. Brock exchanged a look with Bobby and Lewis.

"Not really. Why? Rebecca did you see a ghost?" Brock asked.

"I don't know. Maybe I'm just tired and imagined the whole..." Becca began. She froze when Thomas Andrews walked through the door of her cabin.

"Thing..." she finished watching him snap his fingers in front of Lewis' face.

Brock looked in the same direction and said,

"What? Are you seeing something now?"

"Uh...I think I'm just tired and I need to rest." she managed to squeak out while watching Thomas wave a hand before Bobby's face.

"You're probably right. Come on guys. I'm exhausted myself." Bobby said.

"You're sure you'll be okay?" Brock asked in concern.

"I'll be fine brock." she said giving him a small smile.

"Call if you need anything. I'll be back to check on you later okay?" Brock asked.

"Okay." she nodded as the three men walked out. Leaving her alone with a ghost. Oy.

"Is that your husband?" Thomas asked.

"Brother." she replied.

"Ah yes. I see the family resemblance now." he nodded. She got off the bed and said,

"This is really happening isn't it?"

"So it is. And for some reason. You're the only one that can see and hear me." he said.

"Great..." she mumbled.

"I...I didn't catch your name." he said.

"Dr. Rebecca Lovett." she said.

"Doctor?" he asked raising a brow.

"Women have come a lot way in the last eighty years." she smiled.

"I see. so Dr. Lovette...what is the purpose of this vessel out here?" he asked.

"We're a research vessel. We're combing the ocean floor for the remains of the Titanic." she replied.

"I should think that should have been done by now after eighty years." he said.

"Well actually there was a mix up in the final coordinates given in the report and the actual place where titanic landed on the ocean floor. They only found the wreakage about eight years ago. That and the technology to dive down there safely was only created a few years ago." she said.

"Really? How? The water is so deep." he asked.

"You sure you want to know all this?" she asked.

"What else am I going to do? Rattle some chains?" he asked.

"Come on then. I'll show you." she said leading him out. But while she went out the door, he went through the wall.

"Will you stop that!" Becca hissed in the hall.

"Sorry." came the sheepish reply.

* * *

Thomas followed Becca above deck where she showed him and explained how the small subversables worked and was able to take a three man crew below the waves to view the Titanic below. And then she showed him the lab where he saw the artifacts that was saved as well as the video footage of the wreck as it was now. That was what captured his interest the most. Becca thought his eyes looked so sad as he gazed upon his creation.

"I knew every bulk head, every rivet, every porthole Dr. Lovette. How did I fail her?" he asked.

"You didn't. We know it was a freak accident." she said gently.

"An accident? Oh it was so much more Doctor. so much more. Will you excuse me Doctor? I need to be alone. Go get your rest." Thomas said.

"Alright. Goodnight Mr. Andrews." she said.

"Goodnight Doctor." he replied. Becca cast one last glance at the mournful ghost before leaving him in the lab._  
_


	2. Chapter 2

Becca woke that morning wondering if Thomas Andrews had been a dream. The bump on her head wanted to tell her otherwise. But it was crazy. There was no such thing as ghosts. Right? She dressed for the day and followed her nose to the mess where breakfast was being served. Brock was there eating a bowl of cereal.

"Hey Becs. How's your head?" he asked.

"Tender. But I'll live." she replied.

"Heard from Casper lately Doc?" Lewis asked making some crewmen around him snicker. She glared at him and said,

"Ha ha. I'm sure I just had a crazy dream. I'm fine now."

"Hey I saw those blueprints Becs. They're amazing." Brock said.

"Yeah from what I can tell the handwriting was a formula he was using to estimate how much time they had left. And he was pretty accurate." Becca said taking a seat.

"See? Aren't you glad you listened to me?" Brock asked.

"Yeah and all it cost me was a sleep deprived hallucination and a bump on the head." Becca said sarcastically.

"Hmm..." Brock commented.

"Come on Brock. We've got a dive this morning. And your wife's on the phone for you." Bobby said poking his head in.

"I'm coming Bobby." Brock said finishing his cereal and putting the bowl away.

"You too Lewis." Bobby said.

"Yes Mother." Lewis quipped as he put away his dishes and followed them out.

"Later Becs!" Brock called.

"Bye! Be careful." she called out. But just as she was about to take a bite of her scrambled eggs, she heard a familiar Irish brough exclaim,

"Absolutely incredible."

Her eyes wide in horror, she looked up and saw Thomas Andrews enter the mess looking around.

"Granted it's not as grand and opulant as one of the White Star vessels, but the technology is amazing. What I would have given to have the technology of this ship on the Titanic. Might have saved her." he continued taking a seat before her.

"Oh sweet Jesus...not a dream..." she said beginning to hyperventalate.

"No I'm not Doctor. I thought we had established that last night?" he asked.

Making sure no one was watching her, Becca covered her mouth with her hand and whispered,

"If you were still alive and you came face to face with a ghost, would you believe it?"

"Probably not." he shrugged.

"Come on. We need to talk." she whispered before using her toast, bacon and eggs to make a sandwich. She put her dishes away and led him out on deck, where the rolling sea and the roar of the ships engines would provide them cover.

"I've been walking all around this ship trying to make sense of it all. It's like I've been asleep for just a few minutes." he said.

"Why do you think you're here now? Haunting me?" she asked.

"My blueprints." he said.

"The blueprints?" she asked.

He nodded,

"Besides my daughter those blueprints were the most precious thing in the world to me. I saw them in your laboratory."

"And I brought them up from the ocean floor yesterday." she said catching on.

"My grandfather use to tell me the legends of Ireland. And the ghost stories. He said if a spirit is bound to walk the earth after death, it's because of some kind of unfinished business." Thomas said.

"What unfinished business do you have?" she asked.

"I'm not sure. I had a good life. I had a wife and a daughter. I had friends. I was sucessful in my business. Well at least until the end anyway. The only thing I can think of is I feel like I have to save the people who died on Titanic." he said.

"But...you can't. they died." she pointed out.

"Hence my dilemma. I don't know. Maybe if I can just find out what caused the disaster I can find some peace." he said.

"Well you're at the perfect place to find that out." Becca told him.

"So it would seem." Thomas said leaning aganist the railing.

"And if it would make you feel better because of the titanic, shipping companies around the world increased safety regulations. Now they can't sail at all without enough lifeboats and most companies make it mandatory to have passengers perform safety drills with their life jackets. Some don't even leave port until the safety drill is done." Becca told him.

"That is a comfort. I'm just sorry so many had to die for it to happen. Including myself." he said.

"And most people consider you a hero in the history books. They know how you searched the cabins and urged people to put on their life jackets. Was it true that you started throwing deck chairs overboard to the people who were in the water?" Becca asked.

Thomas chuckled,

"Honestly that night is such a blur I probably did. I can't remember clearly."

"Do you want to see what we found so far? I have to start work in the lab anyway." she asked.

"Actually...I was hoping I could see her." Thomas asked.

"Her?" Becca asked.

"Titanic. Are those...nickelodeons...accurate? Does she really look like that?" he asked.

"First of all we call them videos now. Second of all...she does. Do you still want to see her?" Becca asked.

"I have to." he said.

"Well. We probably won't do a dive for another hour. You can sneak aboard with me then. I don't think a ghost would take up much room." she said.

"Thank you Dr. Lovette." Thomas said.

"Rebecca. And my friends call me Becca." she told him.

"Becca then. Please call me Thomas." he said.

"I will. Come on. Let's go to the lab shall we?" she said.

"Let's." he said automatically offering her his elbow.

She blinked in surprise then pointed out,

"Um since I'm the only one that can see and hear you? It'd look a little weird if I was holding unto air."

"Ah. Of course. forgive me. Still getting used to the idea of being a ghost." he said clearing his throat. He followed her off the deck and back into the lab, where other techs were at work cleaning and carefully perserving the artifacts recovered. He watched becca put on a pair of gloves then inspect each artifact that was being cleaned. Then she went to a strange square device and typed on a keyboard like for a type writer.

"What is this contraption?" Thomas asked leaning in over her shoulder.

"It's a computer. It saves important documents and we use it to create 3d..."she began only to find herself locked with his eyes. He was very close to her. All he had to do was lean in.

"Models..." she continued fighting back the feeling of butterflies. It was then Thomas noticed that she was a pretty young woman. Petite with strawberry blond hair and bright green eyes and a smattering of freckles across her nose. Then remembering his wife Helen, he cleared his throat and backed away.

"Fascinating." he said while she hoped no one noticed her reaction.

* * *

A few minutes later, Mir 1 and Mir 2 were submerging again. Brock was in Mir 1 with Lewis and the sub pilot and Becca was in Mir 2 with another tech and pilot. Thomas snuck aboard but jumped every time this glorified tin can shook. He found himself looking to Becca for reassurance, but due to the close quarters she couldn't say anything to him.

"Mir 2 come in. You ready Becs?" Brock asked over the radio.

"Mir 1 ready to submerge. We're going down." Becca replied.

Thomas was mystified when they went below the waves. The only light down here was the lights from the submersibles themselves. And there was nothing but blackness. Soon it grew rather tedious to watch nothing so he took to observing Becca and the crew. So far rebecca had impressed him as being an extrodinary woman. Bright and intelligent and passionate about her work. He had gotten so caught up with staring at her, that he barely noticed the three hours that past by.

"Alright Mir 2 we're near the ocean floor and the tracks. What's your twenty?" Becca asked into the radio.

"We're right beside ya Becs over." Brock said.

"Let's find the bow." she said. Thomas looked out the window seeing the faint drag marks in the sediment on the ocean floor. Becca had told him how Titanic had ripped itself in two before it subcumbed to its watery grave. That had nearly broken his heart all over again when he heard that. But it was when he saw the bow come into the light like the ghostly Flying Dutchman that his heart shattered. He had to put a shaking fist to his mouth to control a sob escaping from his lips. Becca looked up from the radar and felt so sorry for him when she saw his reaction.

"Becs we're gonna park on the starboard boat deck like yesterday over." Brock's voice came from the radio. Becca cleared her throat and replied back,

"Copy that."

Thomas controlled himself again and turned to the monitors where each sub released a small robot attacked to a teather. He watched in facination as the robots recorded video that was relayed back to the subs. Time and rust had taken so much yet so much was recognizable. He saw familiar doors and trinkets. Even a crystal chandelier remained hanging above the remains of the once grand staircase, the jewelbox of the great ship. And the outline of the two angels Honor and Glory still watched over the spot where the clock at the top of the stair case had been, frozen in time themselves.

"Alright folks. Let's find that diamond." Brock's voice came in over the radio.

"Diamond?" Thomas asked looking over at Becca who blushed sheepishly.

"Copy that..." she reluctantly said into the radio.

* * *

"Unbelievable!" Thomas cried as he rematerialized on the deck of the Keldysh. Becca scrambled to climb out of Mir 1 and chase after the angered ghost.

"A research vessel she calls it! Hah! You're all nothing but a bunch of money grubbing scavengers!" he spat at a crewman passing by.

"Thomas!" cried Becca earning some odd looks by a few of the russian crewman. Thomas ushered her under a set of stairs and asked her in the shadows,

"Are you or are you not treasure hunters?"

"Brock's the treasure hunter. I'm a marine archelogist who cares about perseving history." she replied.

"History? Is that all you think Titanic is?" he asked.

"No I know it's the sight of the greatest seafaring tradegy on record. I know 1500 people lost their lives..." Becca began.

"You don't get it do you? You know the facts. but do you know Titanic's soul? Haven't you ever let it sink in?" Thomas asked.

"Of course I have. That's why I'm here. Look finding the diamond is just a means to an end for me." she said.

"And what is your end Doctor? A disertation on the artifacts of signifigant value to history found on the ocean floor? Titanic wasn't just a ship that sank Becca. She was a ship that lived. And to not realize that also insults the memory of ever soul that breathed life into her. Including myself." he told her.

"I'm sorry. But what do you want me to do? The only reason this expedition exists at all is because our investors want us to find the diamond." she said.

"You really don't get it. You even have a ghost from the Titanic that lived through all those horrors right before your eyes and to you Titanic is something in a history book. Or some forgotton bauble in a lab. Haven't you even talked to anyone that survived that night?" he asked.

"No. Most of them are dead." she said pointedly.

"And yet here you are with someone who is dead and yet very much able to tell you what he experienced and you have yet to even ask him but a few questions. All you have to do is listen Becca." Thomas insisted.

"Alright I'm listening. So tell me." Becca said folding her arms. Thomas was about to begin when Brock interrupted.

"Hey Becs you okay? What are you doing over here?" he asked.

"Uh...just...thinking." Becca replied.

"Come on I need your help with these artifacts." Brock told her. Becca cast her eyes over Brock's shoulder to look at Thomas who sighed and said,

"Later then."

Then he vanished in a whisp of smoke.

Brock looked over his shoulder and asked his sister,

"What are you looking at?"

"Nothing. come on. Those artifacts won't clean themselves." Becca said walking off as Brock shrugged.

* * *

Later Becca was sitting in her bunk writing notes when she felt rather than saw Thomas' presence.

"Are you still mad at me?" she asked. He appeared and replied,

"My apologies for being so aburpt with you earlier. It's just that ship was very special to me. And I suppose it bothered me that the only reason anyone around here seems to care about her it because of the trinkets she holds in her belly."

"And maybe seeing it the way it looked now bothered you more than you thought it would?" Becca asked pulling her knees up to her chest. He nodded as he sat on her bunk.

"I spent the entire voyage making little notes about how to improve her. I never got the chance to suggest them. I don't even think I tried to enjoy myself. My mind was so consumed with work." he said.

"I can relate. That's why my fiance broke up with me." she said.

"You were engaged?" he asked looking at her.

"Well when you're a child genius who graduates with a masters at the age of eighteen, dating is kind of a tricky proposition. The guys who are the same age as you are just starting college and are more concerned with the next party and pledge week than a career. So I tended to date older men. When I made time to date anyway. And my ex was a really sweet guy. Successful in his own career. Had his own house. And he loved me enought to tolerate me." she told him.

"But not for long." Thomas added.

"Eventually he got tired of coming in second place behind my work. Especially when I announced I was going out to the middle of the Atlantic ocean to help Brock with the titanic exposition. He wanted to get married. Start a family. I guess I'm a 'genius' but that doesn't still mean I'm not young and not ready for all of that." she said.

"So you've been out here ever since." Thomas said.

"With twenty happily married russians, two women,eight married americans and six single americas who have girlfriends back home and one brother. What about you? I've heard you mention your daughter but not your wife." becca said.

"Helen? Oh we were happy I suppose. We were friends, lovers...and we had a child together. And I did love her. But I don't know if I could say I was ever in love with her. You know in that passionate magical way writers always go on and on about. Our love was steady, stable." he replied.

"Which was typical of Edwardian society."

"What happened to Helen? Do you know?" he asked.

"Yeah. She married again. And both she and your daughter Elizabeth went on to have long and happy lives." Becca replied.

"I'm glad. You know it's funny? If I were alive again, I'd have a chance to start over. Find one of those passionate romances you always read about. not worry about work so much this time." he said.

"It would be nice." she nodded.

"But it would take a miracle of heaven for that." he said.

"Stranger things have happened." Becca shrugged.

"Like what?" he asked.

"Like a ghost of a famous shipwreck coming out of limbo after eighty years to haunt you." Becca said with a raised eyebrow. Thomas burst out laughing.

"I suppose you have a point there don't you?"

"You know this necklace we're hunting? 'The Heart of the Ocean'? Legend has it that if you make a wish on it, that wish would come true." Becca told him.

"Does it now? Maybe I could wish to be alive again. What about you Doctor? What would you wish for?" he asked. Becca was silent a moment before she looked down at her feet and replied,

"Something I can't have."

He stared at her a moment before clearing his throat and getting up to his feet.

"Well I best let you get some sleep. And truly I would like to learn more about this new world, Doctor. Even that wish granting diamond of yours. " he said.

"And I want to ask about your experiences. I really do. Can we be friends?" she asked.

"I would like that." he said.

"Good night." She told him.

"Good night." he nodded. But as he turned to the door, he paused. He looked back down at her and raised a hand to her face. He tried with all his might to brush away that one bothersome strand of hair that always seemed to fall into her eyes. But alas, he just couldn't do it. And though he couldn't touch her, Becca still trembled and closed her eyes.

"Goodnight doctor." he sighed before fadding away.

"Thomas?" she asked the empty room. Knowing she was alone once more, she flopped back on her bed and sputtered her lips. Suddenly she heard a knock on her door.

"Thomas?" she asked rushing to answer the door. Instead she found Brock who asked,

"Who's Thomas?"

"Uh...a mouse. He kinda hangs out in my room so I named him Thomas." she said knowing how lame that was.

"And you thought a mouse knocked on the door?" he asked.

"I heard a knock. It could have been anything." she said.

"Right. Anyway I just wanted to go over the dive tomorrow. I've been going over the ships manifests. And I haven't pinned down which cabin Hockley was in, but I think he had one with a private promenade. He mentions it in one of his letters here. Copy was faxed over this morning." he said handing her the copy while spreading stuff out on her bunk.

"Okay...Say what did Anne have to say this morning? What's the report from back home?" Becca said looking down at the letter. Brock paused,

"Nothing much. Mom and Dad say hi. Your dog is driving them crazy. ...And Anne wants a divorce."

Becca looked up in surprise and dropped the pencil she had just put in her mouth.

"Oh Brock...I'm so sorry..."she began.

"It's okay. I've kind of suspected it was coming. Helo's coming to pick me up Friday so I can head home and get it over with. Think you can hold down the fort while I'm gone?" he asked.

"Yeah...yeah of course." she nodded still in shock over how calm he was being.

"Anyway I just want to get as many dives in as possible you know?" he said.

"Sure...Brock? Have you ever let it sink in?" Becca asked.

"What?" he asked looking at his notes.

"Titanic. I mean...she wasn't just a ship that sank. She was a ship that lived." she shrugged taking a seat on the bed.

"I know. But right now...the only heart I'm interested in is 'the Heart of the Ocean.' So let's find it huh?" he asked.

"You really think we ever will?" Becca asked.

"Sure. How long can it take?" Brock asked.


	3. Chapter 3

Three years later...

Becca was sleeping peacefully when she heard yelling...in Russian.

"Not again..." she mumbled. She pulled on her jeans and followed the sound to the mess where she heard the Russians all talking at once.

"(Okay guys. What's going on now?)" she asked in Russian.

"(You know that leaky facet in the kitchen? She's fixed. And no one on board did it!)" one said.

"(It was the ghost!)" cried another as they began to mumble again.

"(Guys guys! Look...I'm sure whatever was wrong with the facet just straightened itself out. It happens.)" she said.

"(They're back!)" called a crewman from above deck.

"(Go on. We've got to get those subs up.)" Becca told them. They begrudedly filed out leaving Becca alone in the mess. At least she was seemingly alone. She headed for the kitchen where she leaned against the counter by the sink.

"What have I told you about fixing things on the ship at night?" she asked.

Sitting up from under the sink he had been fussing with, Thomas replied,

"What good is it being a ghost stuck on a ship if I have nothing to do?"

"You have plenty to do. You follow me around and help with my research. Remember?" she asked.

"I personally worked with the builders in Belfast on each ship I designed. Observing isn't enough for me." Thomas said.

"Sometimes I wish you hadn't figured out how to poltergeist. You know it freaks the crew out." she said.

"I know. If it wasn't for you I'd think I was in hell. Doing nothing just drives me mad." he said getting to his feet and rolling down his shirtsleeves.

"I know. But please...please for my sake just...try? I can't keep playing dumb. That drives me mad." she pleaded. He chuckled as he put on his coat.

"I'll try. I'll try anything for you." he said.

She blushed slightly but told him,

"Thank you."

"Becca! Brock got a safe from the wreck!" Bobby called down into the kitchen.

"Be right there." she called.

"A safe? Do you suppose it's the necklace?" Thomas asked following her up on deck. In the last three years Thomas had found himself interested in finding the 'Heart of the Ocean'. It seemed to be a fitting symbol for Titanic. Besides, Brock and Becca had put up all their savings into this expedition. They needed the necklace soon or they would lose everything. Becca tried not to act worried, but Thomas knew money was becoming a concern for her. If there was anyway he could, he would find that necklace for her. But since Hockley had only shown the stone to young rose, he had never even known of it's existence until three years ago.

"I hope so." she sighed.

* * *

A few minutes later she followed Bobby on the deck where she saw a small safe being lifted out of teh water.

"Careful! Set it down gently!" she ordered the crane operator.

"Yes Dr. Lovette." the man replied.

"Relax Becs. This is what we've waited three years for I feel it!" Brock told her after giving Bobby a hug and accepting a celebratory cigar.

"Brock that safe could fall apart. Not only might we lose important artifacts (including your precious diamond) someone might get hurt." Becca told him.

"We got it Becs. Take it easy. Hey someone get a saw!" Brock ordered.

"Saw? Brock!" Becca protested chasing after him.  


* * *

  
A few mintues later a crewmember was hard at work carefully cutting the lock on the safe. Everyone began clapping each other on the back and Lewis, a large man with a beard and glasses, opened a bottle of champange dousing everyone with it before taking a big swig himself. Finally with a metallic clang it opened and water and old rust ridden money and paper bills flowed out. Brock knelt before the safe and started shifting through it. But the frown on his face grew when he only found more bills and an old leather portfolio.

"No diamonds?" asked a crewman in a thick russian accent.

"Shit..."Brock said.

"You know Boss the same thing happened to Gilardo...and his career never recovered." Lewis said trying to make his friend feel better. Becca elbowed him in the gut and then told her brother,

"Sorry Brock."

Brock stood to his feet and glared when he saw the camera. He pushed the lense away telling the cameraman,

"Turn the camera off."  


* * *

  
Later, Brock was sulking in the preservation room. Becca knew he was sulking because he was going over all their research for the Titanic. Looking for any clue they missed. Bobby was on the sallitite phone talking to their investors and giving them an update. Becca put the leather portfolio they had found in a chemical bath to clean the years of water damage and told her brother,

"We'll find it Brock."

"How do you know?" he asked her not looking up.

"Because you always do." Becca smiled taking the portfolio out of the bath and submerging it in water.

Bob interrupted and said handing Brock the phone,

"The partners want to know how it's going?"

Becca looked up from her cleaning the portfolio with a pressured water hose. Brock and Becca exchanged a look before Brock inhaled and took the phone. Instantly he went smooth.

"Hi, Dave? Barry? Look, it wasn't in the safe... no, look, don't worry aboutit, there're still plenty of places it could be... in the floor debris in the suite, in the mother's room, in the purser's safe on C deck..."

"Jimmy Hoffa's briefcase..."Bobby quipped.

"Tir na nog..." Andrews piped in making Becca snicker. He loved to make her smile. Brock turned and saw something on the monitor they used to examine artifacts in detail. His brow furrowed as he told the partners,

"Hang on a second."

He looked at the screen and then to his sister who had been too absorbed in her work to notice what was slowly being revealed. she coaxed some letters in the water tray to one side with a tong...revealing a pencil drawing of a woman.

Brock looked closer at the drawing, which was in excellent shape, though its edges had been partially disintegrated. The woman was beautiful, and beautifullyrendered. In her late teens or early twenties, she was nude, though posed with a kind of casual modesty. She was on an Empire divan, in a pool of light that seems to radiate outward from her eyes. Scrawled in the lower  
right corner was the date: April 14 1912. And the initials JD.

The girl was not entirely nude. At her throat wass a diamond necklace with one large stone hanging in the center.

"Becs hang on a second. Let me see the photo of the necklace." he told his sister. Bob told the investors as everyone gathered around,

"We'll call you back!"

Lovett grabbed a reference photo from the clutter on the lab table. It was a period black-and-white photo of a diamond necklace on a black velvet jeweller's display stand. He held it next to the drawing. It was clearly the same piece... a complex setting with a massive central stone which was almost heart-shaped.

"I'll be God damned." Brock said.

* * *

  
Later that same day, Mir 1 was getting ready for a dive. But this time it was Becca going down.

"So does this count as overtime Doc?" Lewis asked zipping up his suit.

"Ha ha...talk to brock about that one Lewis." Becca replied watching the progress of the subs.

"I would but Hollywood over there is doing an interview right now." the robot pilot replied jerking a thumb across the deck. Becca looked and shook her head. Brock loved the spotlight. And right now he was standing before a camera talking into a microphone.

* * *

  
"Treasure hunter Brock Lovett is best known for finding Spanish gold in sunken galleons in the Caribbean. Now he is using deep submergence technology to work two and a half miles down at another famous wreck... the Titanic. He is with us live via satellite from a Russian research ship in the middle of the Atlantic... hello Brock?" said a news anchor back in the states talking to brock from their news studio.

"Yes, hi, Tracy. You know, Titanic is not just A shipwrick, Titanic is THE shipwreck. It's the Mount Everest of shipwrecks." Brock began after a moment of delay. Little did he know that half a world away in California, in a small rustic house full of ceramics, figurines and folk art the CNN report was playing on a small TV. The walls of the house were crammed with drawings and paintings... things collected over a lifetime. And in a glassed-in studio attached to the house, amid incredible clutter, an anchient woman was throwing a pot on a potter's wheel. The liquid red clay covered her hands... hands gnarled and age-spotted, but still surprisingly strong and supple. A woman in her early forties was busy in the kitchen cleaning up breakfast.

"I've planned this expedition for three years, and we're out here recovering some amazing things... things that will have enormous historical and educational value." Brock continued.

"But it's no secret that education is not your main purpose. You're a treasure hunter. So what is the treasure you're hunting?" the anchor Tracy asked.

"I'd rather show you than tell you, and we think we're very close to doing just that." Brock said bring the camera close to a small table they had set up on deck.

"Your expedition is at the center of a storm of controversy over salvage rights and even ethics. Many are calling you a grave robber." the reporter continued

"Nobody called the recovery of the artifacts from King Tut's tomb grave robbing. I have museum-trained experts here, including my own sister, Dr. Rebecca Lovett, a respected marine archeologist. They're making sure this stuff is preserved and catalogued properly. Look at this drawing, which was found today..." Brock said pulling the camera in tight on the drawing. Something about the report caught the woman's attention and she turned to the TV. The woman's face was a wrinkled mass, her body shapeless and shrunken under a one-piece African-print dress. But her eyes were just as bright and alive as those of a young girl. She got up and walked into the living room, wiping pottery clay from herhands with a rag. A Pomeranian dog got up and came in with her. Seeing her grandmother get up, the other woman rushed to help her.

"Grandma?"

"Turn that up please, dear." the old woman asks. Her granddaughter replied turning up the volumn as the video camera panned off Brock to the drawing, in a tray of water. The  
image of the woman with the necklace filled the frame. Brock continued,

"...a piece of paper that's been underwater for 84 years... and my team are able to preserve it intanct. Should this have remained unseen at the bottom of the ocean for eternity, when we can see it and enjoy it now...?"

Galvanized by this image, the old woman's mouth hung open in amazement.

"I'll be God damned." the old woman said.

* * *

"Tell him to pan over to the left. I think you can still see the brass lettering of the decks near the lifts." Thomas told Becca who nodded slightly and repeated the command to the ROV pilot. It had become a common way of working between them. Thomas would tag along on Becca's dives and help her navigate around the ship.

"Well would you look at that. Deck A." said the sub pilot.

And this is where first class would enter the ship. " Becca said as Thomas nodded. Seeing him distracted, Becca leaned back and whispered softly to him,

"What's wrong?"

"Just...I entered those same doors myself. I walked through each door, looked out each porthole. Three years have past now Becca. I know how Titanic met her end and why. So why am I still here?" he asked. Becca couldn't answer him with the two crewman aboard so she turned her attention back to the monitors. She wouldn't know how to answer him anyway. they had entered the hockley suite now, the robot shifting threw the debris to find any sort of sparkle. Just then, her eyes caught something.

"Stop wait go back." she said.

"You see the necklace?" the ROV pilot asked.

"Maybe...zoom in on the vanity. Turn off the main lights." she ordered. The ROV pilot complied but when they did, instead of sparkling diamonds, they found a sparkling hand mirror.

"No diamond." Thomas said.

"It's just as valuable. It's her life." Becca said with a smile towards his way.

"Doctor?" asked the sub pilot.

"Let's gather them up Jerry." she ordered.

"Right away." came the reply.

* * *

Hours later, Brock was supervising the docking of the two Mir subs from the water. Mir Two was in the water, and Brock was getting ready to help his sister out of Mir One when Bobby ran up to him.

"There's a satellite call for you." bobby said.

"Bobby, we're docking. See these submersibles here, coming out of the water?" Brock replied sarcastically.

"Trust me pal, you want to take this call." Bobby told him having to raise his voice over the sound of the machinery. They walked off to the side where an extention to the phone had been set up on deck.

"This better be good." Brock sighed in complation.

"Now you got to speak up she's kinda old." Bobby told Brock handing him the phone, pushing down the blinking line. Brock rolled his eyes and said polietly over the phone,

"This is Brock Lovett. What can I do for you, Mrs... ?"

"Calvert! Rose Calvert." Bobby told him.

"... Mrs. Calvert?" Brock asked.

Sitting in her kitchen with a mystified granddaughter by her side, Mrs. Calvert replied cool as a cucumber,

"Yes...I was just wondering if you had found the "Heart of the Ocean" yet, Mr. Lovett."

Almost dropping the phone, Brock looked at Bobby in shock,

"Told you you wanted to take this call."

Intriqued, Brock returned to the phone and said,

"Alright. You have my attention, Rose. Can you tell me who the woman in the picture is?"

"Oh yes. The woman in the picture is me."

* * *

Becca climbed out and immediately asked Bobby over the roar of the machinery,

"Where's Brock?"

"Getting a lead on the diamond. Some woman named Calvert saw the report on TV, she called the diamond by name Becca." Bobby explained. Becca blinked in surprise.

"She knew it was 'the Heart of the Ocean?" she asked.

"Yeah, hopefully it's not a scam." Bobby said. He left her side while Thomas appeared next to her and asked,

"What's all that about?"

"Not sure. Come on." she told him. He followed her to the lab where the techs were already carefully processing and cleaning the artifacts found. They were mostly small costume jewelry and the hand mirror.

"Must have belonged to Rose and Ruth De Witt Bukater." Becca said.

"Yes...I seem to recall Mrs. De Witt Bukater wearing this broach." Thomas told her pointing to the artifact in question.

"Huh...wait a minute." Becca said looking up a file they had.

"What?" Thomas asked.

"Ruth De Witt Bukater made an insurance claim for the lost of her 'family heirlooms' after Titanic sank. This broach was listed, but it was suppose to be make of opals and emeralds." she whispered to him.

"But these are clearly paste. Why would Mrs. De witt Bukater lie?" he asked.

"To get the money." she suggested.

"What for? She was a wealthy woman." Thomas asked.

"Was she?" Becca asked.

"What are you implying?" Thomas asked.

"I'm not sure. I'm going to do a little digging. See what happened to Ruth after Titanic." Becca said.

"Uh oh. I know that tone. You're going to pull an all nighter aren't you?" Thomas asked.

"More than likely." she laughed.

"Shall I poltergeist you some coffee?" he asked.

"Don't you dare. The last thing I need tonight is a bunch of superstitious Russians freaking out about the ship's ghost again." Becca asked.

"Then how about a compromise?" he suggested.

"What?" she asked.

"Why don't I do the digging tonight when everyone's out of the lab? Let you get some sleep?" he suggested.

"Are you trying to spoil me Mr. Andrews?" she asked.

"Just trying to help out a friend." he said.

"I knew I shouldn't have taught you how to use a computer." she said.

"I think I'll go for a stroll above deck. Make sure the equipment is working right." Thomas said.

"Just don't touch anything..."Becca warned him. She laughed softly to herself when he gave her a wink and said,

"Perish the thought dear lady."

Then she blushed when she looked up and saw a tech looking at her with a raised brow. She cleared her throat and got back to work.

"Becs! Becca! You're not going to believe this!" Brock proclaimed rushing in.

"I know Bobby told me. Some woman claimed to know about the necklace?" she asked.

"Not just any woman Becs. She's claiming to be Rose De Witt Bukater herself." Brock said out of breath.

"What? How?" she asked.

"I'm not sure. But I'm gonna find out." Brock said rushing out.

"Brock!" Becca called after him in vain. But he was already gone. Leaving Becca to think. Why would Rose lie about dying on the Titanic?

* * *

That night, after the last tech left, Thomas manifested himself in the lab and went to Becca's computer to start pulling up files on Ruth. He often came to this device to learn about the last eighty four years and help Becca with her lab research. Once he even managed to find his way into Harland and Wolfe records. Becca had called it 'hacking'. And apparently it was illegal because she wouldn't speak to him for a week after that. But for some reason, he found he could always charm his way back in her good graces. And it was so much fun to charm her.

Suddenly, he pulled up an old newspaper article. The story was about Molly Brown returning home to Colorodo, but seeing Ruth in the background Thomas smiled to himself,

"Gotcha."

* * *

His hands were rough. Calloused from years of working with his hands. She raked her nails down his broad back as he kissed her neck. Then he whispered into her ear,

"Rebecca..."

"Thomas!" she cried back as she peaked.

Then...she woke up. She blushed at the thoughts still racing through her head, her body and her blood. Her heart was pumping a mile a minute. It had only been a dream. She was beginning to have a lot of those lately.

"Forget it Becca...It's never gonna happen." she whispered to herself. Then she got up and dressed for the day. She made her way to the mess where she grabbed her breakfast and sat down next to Brock and across from lewis.

"Nice dreams last night doc?" Lewis asked with a smirk.

"What do you mean?" she asked horrified.

"We...kind of heard you moaning in your sleep last night Becs..."Brock said.

"Oh crap. Did the crew?" she asked.

"No they didn't hear. We were the only one's up last night." Lewis said. Becca hoped they were the only one's that heard. And that a certain ghost was completely oblivious.

"Can we just drop the subject please? I'm not interested in my sister's private life. No offense." Brock said.

"None taken." she said.

"What do you know boss? Neither one of you has gotten any for three years." Lewis snickered.

"Lewis..." Brock groaned.

"Hey all I'm saying is it doesn't have to be this way. My girlfriend and me do cybersex right? And last time we emailed we..."Lewis began.

"Lewis!" snapped Brock.

"Anyway what's on the agenda today?" she asked.

"Well we're getting the guest cabin ready for Mrs. Calvert and her granddaughter. They're suppose to be here tomorrow morning. So I figured we'd be able to squeeze in a few more dives today." Brock replied glaring at his friend.

"Yeah Boss I don't know about this whole Calvert thing. I mean this old broad is claiming to be Rose Dewitt Bukater right?" Lewis asked.

"Cal Hockley's fiance right." Brock nodded.

"Okay so why the hell hasn't she come forward before? Is she had lived, why did she let everyone believe she had died on Titanic?" Lewis asked.

"I don't know. But I guess we'll just have to wait for Rose to tell us." Brock said.

"Well I don't know about you, but I'm going to do a little background check on her. See what dirt I can find. Excuse me." Lewis said leaving the lab and taking some blueprints with him. Bobby came in the lab and told Brock,

"Dave's on the phone for you."

"Probably wondering why I paid for two first class plane tickets from California. Later sis." Brock said getting up.

"Later." Becca said. Alone in the mess, she was enjoying her breakfast when she felt Thomas appear next to her.

"Good morning." he said.

"Good morning." she said shifting uncomfortably.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"No nothing. Say um...did you stop by my cabin any last night on your rounds?" she asked.

"No I didn't even get to my rounds on the ship. I spent all night on the lab finding out about Ruth De Witt Bukater." he said.

"Oh. So what did you find?" she asked releaved.

"Get this. Apparently, before he died, Ruth's husband raked up a large gambling debt. They were about to lose everything. She sold her jewelry in europe just to keep up the illusion she was still wealthy." Thomas said.

"And she made the phony insurance claim back in the states. So she needed money." she said.

"Right. Now I hope your modern feminist ideals forgives me for this, but what if Hockley was their meal ticket? And Ruth was making Rose marry him." Thomas said.

"Well it was common back then right? Young women from well to do families were suppose to marry well." Becca said.

"After Titanic, Ruth made the claim, then stayed as a guest of Molly Brown's for a while while she picked up the pieces of her life. All the information is saved on your computer. " he said.

"Thank you Thomas." she smiled.

"Your welcome. I'd do anything for you Becca. Anytime." he said automatically reaching for her hand. Only to have her hand go through hers like vapor.

"Funny isn't it? You figured out how to touch objects. But you still go through people like water." she said.

"Yeah. You miss human touch when you're a ghost. You realize that it's people you want to touch again the most." he said looking into her eyes. She cleared her throat and began to pick up her tray.

"Come on. I want to see those files for myself." she said.

He followed her to the lab and let her work while he wandered around, looking at all the other items being cleaned. The files were everything she wanted to know and more. She couldn't wait to show Brock. But he had been on the satalitte all night making travel arrangements for Mrs. Calvert to come out to the Kaldysh and verify her claim. And now he was having to explain himself to the investors. So it was gonna be a while.

She glanced over at the drawing they had found and wondered what the story was behind it and who the artist was. They had found simular drawings in the notebook, all that depicited people of various forms. There had been another nude of another woman, and an sad old woman in ragged victorian dress that looked like she was still alive. The most recent drawings where from the Titanic, showing a rare glimse of life on deck. Including a drawing of the famed boy playing with his top, which was only recently just a photograph. This collection would become very popular very soon.

Thomas' eyes drifted to the work station where his eyes happened upon the drawings. To his wonder most showed life aboard the ships deck. Whoever the artist was, he was very good. Then his eyes happened on the woman with the necklace.

"Rose?" he asked outloud. Looking at him, Becca carefully slipped over to his side and pretended to inspect the drawings while she whispered to him,

"You knew her?"

"Yes. That was Rose DeWitt Bukater. She was Caledon Hockley's fiance. Although by the aburpt end of our voyage it was quite clear she had fallen in love with this thrid class passenger named...of course...Jack Dawson." he said.

"Jack Dawson?" she asked.

"He was an artist. He must have drawn these. See even this one bears his initials." he pointed out. Then he blushed slightly and cast his eyes elsewhere,

"Althought I have no idea why the young lady decided to pose nude."

"How did you meet him?" she asked.

"He saved young Rose's life. She had grown curious about the ships propellors and almost fell overboard had not Jack intervened. Hockley invited him to dinner in first class. Though I can tell you he was hoping to humiliate him. But Jack did splendidly. He borrowed a tux from Mrs. Brown and was pleasant and made witty conversation. And Young Rose was equally as bright and charming, so I can see why they were drawn to each other." he explained.

Becca turned to her computer and typed at the keyboard bringing up a file.

"There's no jack Dawson on record on the ships manifest." she shook her head.

"Looking back, I was a little jealous of Young Rose and Jack Dawson. They had found something special. Even if it was an infactuation." he said.

"Talk about star crossed lovers." she said.

It was then that he looked at her and said,

"Indeed."

Making sure no one had noticed her blush and reaction, she commented,

"Kind of hard to believe they fell for each other after only a few days."

"Well it was probably just an infaturation. " he replied. Althought he wasn't exactly sure who he was talking about anymore.

"Would it interest you to know that a woman claiming to be Rose is coming here tomorrow?" she asked softly. He looked at her in surprise. It did indeed.


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning an enormous sea stallion helicopter was thundering across the ocean. Land wasn't on any horizon. Just open air, the sea and the Keldysh in the distance. Rose looked out the window of the monster helicopter calmly. Her granddaughter Lizzy was beside her holding her grandma's goldfish bowl. She had no idea why they were out here. She had tried to grill her grandmother about why they were doing this and why she had never mentioned Titanic before. But Rose had merely smiled and continued packing. Come to think of it, she never heard anything about her grandmother's life before the 1920's, so was it possible that her claim was true?

* * *

"She's a goddamned liar! A nutcase. Like that... what's her name? That Russian babe. Anestheisia." Lewis ranted over the noise of Mir 1 and Mir 2 preparing for another dive. They were going to do a live video feed from below while the marine biologists were going to make their rounds on the strange creatures that now called Titanic home. Brock was hoping that the video feed would help the old woman remember as much as she could.

"They're inbound." Bobby yelled to them as he pointed to the horizon. Brock nodded and the three of them head forward to meet the approaching helo. Lewis followed Brock and continued to make his case aganist the old woman.

"She says she's Rose DeWitt Bukater, right? Rose DeWitt Bukater died on the Titanic. At the age of 17. If she'd've lived, she'd be over a hundred now." Lewis said.

"A hundred and one next month." Brock told him with a smile on his face. Lewis paused processing that bit of information.

"Okay, so she's a very old goddamned liar! I traced her as far back as the20's... she was working as an actress in L.A. An actress. There's you're first clue Sherlock! Her name was Rose  
Dawson back then. Then she married a guy named Calvert, moved to Cedar Rapids, popped out a couple of kids. Now Calvert's dead, and from what I've heard Cedar Rapids is  
dead.

"And everyobody who knows about the diamond is supposed to be dead... or on this ship. But she knows!" Brock yelled over the rotors of the helo as it began to land on the deck. In a thundering downblast the helicopter's wheels bounce down on the helipad. On one of the upper decks, Becca and Thomas watched the landing.

"Incredible! Leonardo's vision realized!" Thomas exclaimed. Becca couldn't help herself that she found his wonder over the twentith century charming. They had spent each morning all three years together talking, privately in her cabin. And somehow, their topics of conversation varied from the titanic and his final moments to growing up in Ireland and to her growing up in Florida. He was very easy to talk to. Becca wandered down the stairs to the decks below, wondering when was the last time she had talked to a man so freely?

While Brock went forward to meet their guests, Bobby and Lewis watched as the helicopter crew cheif handed out aboutten suitcases.

"Doesn't exactly travel light does she?" Lewis asked Bobby sarcastically over the roar. Bobby just hoped this was a sign that this was a woman who grew up in the Edwardian first class and that they soon would have the diamond in hand. Lowered to the deck in a wheelchair by the Keldysh crewmen, Rose found herself shaking hands with a friendly tanned Brock who introduced himself.

"Mrs Calvert! I'm Brock Lovette! Welcome to the Keldysh!"

Lizzy, ducking unnecessarily under the rotor, followed her out. She ignored Brock's outstretched hand and moved the crewman's hand away from her grandmothers chair pushing it along on the decks. It was as incongruous image of this little old lady, looking impossibly fragile amongst all the high tech gear, grungy deck crew and gigantic equipment. To Brock's confusion, the helo crew cheif handed him a bowl of goldfish.

* * *

  
Later Lizzy was unpacking Rose's things in the small utilitarian room. Rose was placing a number of framed photo on the bureau, arranging them carefully next to the fishbowl. Brock and Bodine stood in the doorway. Becca and Thomas stood behind them. But the moment he saw the old woman, he vanished from Becca's side and reappeared in the cabin, knealing before her. He search her face for a moment before he finally whispered,

"Rose?"

Becca was watching this reaction very carefully while Brock asked Rose,

"Is your stateroom alright?"

"Oh Yes. Very nice. Have you met my granddaughter, Lizzy? She takes care of me." Rose said with gentle pride.

"Yes. We met just a few minutes ago, grandma. Remember, up on deck?" Lizzy said smiling up a Brock.

"Oh, yes." Rose said frustrated with her short term memory.

Brock glanced at Lewis and Becca. Oh oh. Lewis rolled his eyes. But Becca's eyes found Rose's pictures. And one in particular caught her eye. It was when Rose had been in her prime. And she looked just like the woman in the drawing. And given Thomas' reaction, she had a feeling Rose was telling the truth. But how to convey this to Brock? Tell him the ship's ghost recognized her? That would go over well until they got the straight jacket ready. Rose finished arranging her photographs, the usual snapshots of her children and grandchildren, her late husband.

"There, that's nice. I have to have my pictures when I travel. And Freddy of course." Rose said as the dog barked in reply.

"Isn't that right, Sweetie?" she cooed to the pet. Then the dog looked right at Thomas and growled.

"What's the matter darling? Hush. Hush." Rose said picking the dog up.

"Maybe he saw the ghost." laughed Lewis.

"Ghost?" Lizzy asked with a furrowed brow.

"Apparently our ship is haunted. At least that's what our superstitious Russian crew believes. Don't let it bother you." Brock said as Rose looked around, trying the sense the presence of the spirit in question, not realizing he was right by her side.

"Would you like anything?" Becca asked.

"Yes. I should like to see my drawing." Rose replied.

* * *

A few minutes later they were on the preservation deck. Rose looked at the drawing in its tray of water, confronting herself across a span of 84 years. Until they could figure out the best way to preserve it, they had to keep it immersed. It swayed and rippled, almost as if were alive.

Rose closed her ancient eyes and remembered a pair of baby blue eyes, just visible over the top of a sketching pad. They're soft eyes, but fearlessly direct. Rose smiled as she was remembering. Becca looked at Thomas who was still so shaken to be so close he knew so long ago. Brock grabbed the reference photo of the necklace in his hand and showed it to Rose, explain it's history.

"Louis the Sixteenth wore a fabulous stone, called the Blue Diamond of the Crown, which disappeared in 1792, about the time Louis lost everything from the neck up. The theory goes that the crown diamond was chopped too...recut into a heart-like shape... and it became Le Coeur de la Mer. The Heart of the Ocean. Today it would be worth more than the Hope Diamond. Legend has it that if you wished upon it, it would make that wish come true."

"It was a dreadful, heavy thing. I only wore it this once." Rose said pointing to the drawing.

"You actually believe this is you, grandma?" Lizzy asked looking at the drawing.

"It is me, dear. Wasn't I a dish?" laughed Rose. Becca laughed too. She liked this lady. She was a feisty little thing. She even saw Thomas give a small smile, obviously lost in memories of the spirited young woman he had met and who Rose used to be.

"I tracked it down through insurance records... and old claim that was settled under terms of absolute secrecy. Do you know who the claimant was Rose?" Brock asked getting back to the task at hand.

"Someone named Hockley, I should imagine." Rose said confidently. She could tell he was trying to check out her story.

"Nathan Hockley, right. Pittsburgh steel tycoon. For a diamond necklace his son Caledon Hockley bought in France for his fiancee... you... a week before he sailed on Titanic. And the claim was filed right after the sinking. So the diamond had to have gone down with the ship." he said. Rose merely gave a small secretive smile. Brock said to Lizzy and pointed to the drawing.

"See the date?"

"April 14, 1912." Lizzy read.

"So If your grandma is who she says she is, she was wearing the diamond the day Titanic sank." Lewis said.

"And that makes you my new best friend." Brock smiled.

"We will happily compensate you for anything you can tell us that will lead to its recovery." Becca added.

"I don't want your money, Dr. Lovett. I know how hard it is for people who care greatly for money to give some away." Rose replied. Becca exchanged a look with Thomas. Rose sounded almost cynical.

"You don't want anything?" Lewis asked skeptically.

"You may give me this, if anything I tell you is of value." Rose said pointing to the drawing.

"Deal." Brock said before Becca could protest.

"What do you know Young Rose?" Thomas asked softly even though he knew Rose couldn't hear him.

"Over here are a few things we've recovered from your staterooms." Becca said crossing the room and pointing out the cleaned and process artifacts. Lizzy wheeled her grandmother over to the worktable where fifty or so objects, from mundane to valuable where laid out. Rose, shrunken in her chair, could barely see over the table top. With a trembling hand she lifted a tortoise shell hand mirror, inlaid with mother of pearl. She caressed it wonderingly.

"This was mine. How extraordinary! It looks the same as the last time I saw it." she gasped in wonder. Then she turned the mirror over and looked at her ancient face in the cracked  
glass. She put the mirror down saying,

"The reflection has changed a bit."

Becca laughed slightly while Rose spied something else, an opal and emerald art-nouveau brooch.

"My mother's brooch. She wanted to go back for it. Caused quite a fuss." she said. Then she picked up an ornate art-nouveau hair comb. A jade butterfly takes flight on the ebony handle of the comb. She turned it over slowly, remembering and experiencing a rush of images and emotions that have lain dormant for eight decades as she handled the butterfly comb.

"Are you ready to go back to Titanic?" Brock asks gently.

* * *

The Keldysh's imagine shack was a darkened room lined with TV monitors. Images of the wreck filled the screens, fed from Mir One and Two, and the two ROVs, Snoop Dog and Duncan.

"Live from 12,000 feet." Lewis said gesturing to the screens.

Rose stared raptly at the screens. She was enthraled by one in particular,an image of the bow railing. It obviously meant something to her. Brock was studying her reactions carefully. And Becca noticed, as was Thomas.

"The bow's struck in the bottom like an axe, from the impact. Here... I can run a simulation we worked up on this monitor over here." Lewis said.

Lizzy turned the chair so Rose can see the screen of Bodine's computer. As he called up the file, he kept on talking.

"We've put together the world's largest database on the Titanic. Okay, here..."

"Rose might not want to see this, Lewis." Becca told him.

"No, no. It's fine. I'm curious." Rose said.

Lewis started a computer animated graphic on the screen, which parallele his rapid-fire narration.

"She hits the berg on the starboard side and it sort of bumps along...punching holes like a morse code... dit dit dit, down the side. Now she'sflooding in the forward compartments... and the water spills over the tops of the bulkheads, going aft. As her bow is going down, her stern is coming up...slow at first... and then faster and faster until it's lifting all that weight, maybe 20 or 30 thousand tons... out of the water and the hull can't deal... so SKRTTT!... it splits! Right down to the keel, which acts like a big hinge. Now the bow swings down and the stern falls back level... but the weight of the bow pulls the stern up vertical, and then the bow section detaches, heading for the bottom. The stern bobs like a cork, floods and goes under about 2:20a.m. Two hours and forty minutes after the collision."

The animation then followed the bow section as it sinks. Rose watched this clinical dissection of the disaster without emotion. Which was more than Becca could say for thomas. No matter how many times he heard how Titanic had met her end, it still got to him every time. Lewis continued his narration.

"The bow pulls out of its dive and planes away, almost a half a mile, before it hits the bottom going maybe 12 miles an hour. KABOOM!" he said as the bow impacts, digging deeply into the bottom, the animation now following the stern.

"The stern implodes as it sinks, from the pressure, and rips apart from the force of the current as it falls, landing like a big pile of junk. Cool huh?" Lewis asked the old woman.

"Thank you for that fine forensic analysis, Mr. Bodine. Of course the experience of it was...somewhat different." Rose replied.

"Will you share it with us?" Brock asked.

Without a word Rose stood from her chair and turned. Her eyes went back to the screens, showing the sad ruins far below them. There was a from one of the subs tracking slowly over the boat deck. Rose recognized one of the Wellin davits, still in place. She hears ghostly waltz music. The faint and echoing sound of an officer's voice, English accented, calling "Women and children only".

She remembered screaming faces in a running crowd. Pandemonium and terror. People crying, praying, kneeling on the deck. Just impressions...flashes in the dark. Thomas knew what she remembered. He saw the same thing she did in her minds eye everyday for the last three years. Rose looked at another monitor. The ROV Snoop Dog was moving down a rusted, debris-filled corridor. Rose watched the endless row of doorways sliding past, like dark mouths. The image came to a set of ornate doors and Rose remembered two valets nodding to her as they opened the door to the first class dining room. Rose became shaken by the flood of memories and emotions. Her eyes welled up and she put her head down, sobbing quietly.

Lizzy took her wheelchair and told them,

"I'm taking her to rest.

"No..."Rose said softly.

"Come on Grandma..."Lizzy coaxed softly.

"No!" Rose repeated, her voice surprisingly strong. The sweet little old lady was gone, replaced by a woman with eyes of steel. Brock signaled everyone to stay quiet. He pulled out a tape recorder and pushed a button to start recording.

"Tell us, Rose." he asked as Rose sat back down in her chair.

"It's been 84 years..." Rose began.

"It's alright. Just tell us what you can..."Brock said.

"Do you want to hear this story or not Mr. Lovette?" Rose asked with a hint of a smile. Thomas chuckled. There was no doubt in his mind now. This was the spirited young woman he had met so long ago. Becca gave Brock a smile and a gentle shove while the crew settled in, ready to hear Rose's tale.

"It's been 84 years... and I can still smell the fresh paint. The china had never been used. The sheets had never been slept in. Titanic was called the Ship of Dreams. And it was. It really was..."


	5. Chapter 5

Over the course of the next few hours everyone found themselves enraptured by Rose's story. She told them how much she actually detested Cal and yes her mother was making her marry him to restore their family fortune. What surprised Thomas was that Rose hadn't just almost fallen overboard. She was attempting to commit suicide. But Jack Dawson had saved her. She told them how Cal had given her the diamond, telling her that they were royalty.

"Of course his gift was only to reflect light back onto himself, to illuminate the greatness that was Caledon Hockley. It was a cold stone... a heart of ice." Rose said snubbing her nose at the memory. She continued,

"I can still feel its weight. If you could have felt it, not just seen it..."

"Well, that's the general idea, my dear." Brock told her.

"So let me get this right. You were gonna kill yourself by jumping off the Titanic? That's great!" Lewis gaffawed.

"Lewis..." Becca warned him.

But Rose laughed with Lewis.

"All you had to do was wait two days!" Lewis laughed. Becca shot Thomas a slight glare when he began to chuckle too.

Brock, standing out of Rose's sightline, checked his watch. Hours had passed. The process was taking too long.

"Rose, tell us more about the diamond. What did Hockley do with it after that?" he asked.

"Im afraid I'm feeling a little tired, Mr. Lovett." Rose said weakly. thomas raised a brow in suspicion while Lizzy picked up the cue and started to wheel her out.

"Wait! Can you give us something go on, here? Like who had access to the safe? What about this Lovejoy guy? The valet. Did he have the combination?" Brock asked blocking her path.

"That's enough." Lizzy intervenes shooting a glare Brock's way. She took her out the door, with Rose's old hand reappearing at the doorway in a frail wave goodbye.

"Perfect..." Brock sighed running a hand through her hair.

"Brock she's a hundred years old. If she can wait 84 years to tell her story we can wait a few more hours to listen." Becca said. Just then Bobby came in and motioned for Brock,

"Brock...we need to talk." he said seriously.

"Do we have a few more hours Becs?" Brock asked as he followed Bobby out like he was going to the execuioner's block. Becca and Thomas exchanged a look and without a word they left the imaging shack. They began to walk on deck, the noise providing cover for Becca so no one would hear her talking to 'thin air'.

"Goes to show you doesn't it? That you never really know what goes on with someone behind the mask they put on for the world." Thomas said finally breaking the silence.

"You couldn't have known she was suicidal thomas." Becca said.

"But everyone at that luncheon could tell she was unhappy. Stupid rules of polite society kept us from saying anything." Thomas scoffed leaning aganist the railing watching the waves below. Becca began to giggle.

"What?" he asked raising a brow.

"I can picture you hacking up a lung when Rose suggested to Ismay that she might enjoy Sigmund Freud's theories on the preoccupation with size." Becca told him.

"Ismay was a pompus jackass. He's the one who vetoed my suggestion for more lifeboats you know." Thomas said.

"I remember..." Becca said rolling her eyes. J. Bruce Ismay was a sensitive subject. One that Thomas could rant about for hours. Prior experience confirmed this. Thomas surprised her by switching gears however.

"I was just thinking...what if this is what I've been waiting for?" he said.

"What?" Becca asked.

"What if I've been waiting for Rose to come and tell her story? It's probably the only story I haven't heard about the Titanic." Thomas said.

"So...once Rose is done...you'll...cross over?" Becca asked. When he nodded, she was suddenly saddened by this thought. He had become such a mainstay in her life she couldn't imagine it without him.

"I mean that way I know everything about that night and you'll have the information you'll need to find the necklace so I won't have to worry about you anymore." Thomas said.

"well...here's to hoping you're right." Becca said telling herself it was selfish to not want him to move on with his...err..afterlife. He was a ghost. And the thoughts she had been thinking about...and dreaming about...would never come to fruition.

"I do wish I had asked Jack to show me his work. I could have commissioned him to draw Titanic's interiors. Or he might have made a great apprectice for Harland and Wolff and then done his art on the side." Thomas said interrupting her musings.

"I think from what Rose has told us so far he would have said 'Thanks but no thanks.' He was a true bohemian. Would a guy like that be happy designing ships?" Becca said.

"I was." Thomas said.

"Thomas you're a workacholic not a bohemian." Becca said.

"Now look at the pot calling the kettle black." Thomas laughed.

"Besides. I don't think offering him a job would have saved his life." Becca pointed out.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Come on Thomas. I know you. You're the classic martyer. You're thinking that if you had offered Jack a job somehow that could have changed his fate. But at the end of the day he was still a thrid class passenger that somehow fell in love with Rose and went down with the ship." Becca said. Thomas looked into her eyes and softly and warmly said,

"You really do know me don't you?"

Becca ducked her head and blushed.

* * *

On the opposite side of the ship, as the big hydraulic jib swings one of the Mir subs out over the waters Brock walked as he talked with Bobby. They wove amongst deck cranes, launch crew, sub maintenance guys.

"The partners are pissed." Bobby reported.

"Bobby, buy me time. I need time." Brock said.

"We're running thirty thousand a day, and we're six days over on this expedition. And it's the fifth expedition straight in three years. I'm telling you what they're telling me. The hand is on the plug. It's starting to pull."

"Well you tell the hand I need another two days! Bobby, Bobby, Bobby...we're close! I smell it. I smell ice. She had the diamond on... now we just have to find out where it wound up. I just gotta work her a bit more. Okay?" Brock pleaded.

"Oh gees..." Bobby sighed looking at his feet. Brock turned and saw Lizzy standing behind him. She had overheard the past part of his dialogue with Bobbyl. He went to her and hustled her away from Bobby, toward a quiet spot on the deck.

"Hey, Lizzy. I need to talk to you for a second." he began. Lizzy spun on him and asked putting her hands on her hips,

"Don't you mean work me?"

"Look, I'm running out of time. I need your help." Brock said.

"I'm not going to help you browbeat my hundred and one year old grandmother! I came down here to tell you to back off." Lizzy said poking him in the chest.

With undisguised desperation, Brock replied,

"Lizzy... you gotta understand something. I've bet it all to find the 'Heart of the Ocean'. I've got all my dough tied up in this thing. My wife even divorced me over this hunt. I need what's locked inside your grandma's memory."

Lizzy scoffed and folded her arms with a roll of her eyes. Brock held out his hand,

"You see this? Right here?"

She looked at his hand, palm up. Empty. Cupped, as if around an imaginary shape.

"What?" she asked.

"That's the shape my hand's gonna be when I hold that thing. You understand? I'm not leaving here without it." he said. Lizzy sighed. She had to admire his determination.

"Look Mr. Lovette..." she began.

"Brock." he corrected her.

"Brock...she's going to do this her way, in her own time. Don't forget, she contacted you. She's out here for her own reasons, God knows what they are."Lizzy said.

"Maybe she wants to make peace with the past." Brock suggested with a shrug. After all he and Becca had interviewed many survivors over the years. And that's typically what they all seemed to want.

"What past? She has never once, not once, ever said a word about being on the Titanic until two days ago." Lizzy said.

"Then we're all meeting your grandmother for the first time." Brock said. Lizzy had to think about that one. After all her grandmother was already in her sixties when she had been born. She hadn't made the connection between the beautiful young actress in her photos and her grandmother until she was well into her teens. She never knew who that young woman was. She was always just 'Grandma' to her. Lizzy looked at Brock hard,

"You think she was really there?"

"Oh, yeah. Yeah, I'm a believer. She was there." Brock nodded. Lizzy leaned aganist the railing and looked at the waves below.

"Is it really as sad looking as it seems to be on those monitors?" she asked.

"Yeah...Becca's been wanting to have a brass plaque made for years now...in fact she's been really gun hoe about it. But there's no money in the budget." he said.

"It's kind of hard to imagine that my grandmother walked the decks of a ship that's now right below us." she said.

"Actually it's a little to the left." Brock corrected her while she gave him a wry smile.

"Oh." she nodded.

"So how long have you been taking care of your grandmother?" Brock asked.

"Five years now. Althought really she's been taking care of me ever since my divorce." lizzy replied.

"Really?" Brock nodded.

"She's the strongest woman I've ever met. It wasn't until she broke her hip that she needed any sort of medical care. No medication, no special diets anything. It's been hard to see her become so fragile when her spirit is still so strong." Lizzy said.

"Well there's no denying she's spirited." Brock said making her laugh in agreement. It was a nice laugh. Not too loud but not too quiet. Almost...musical. Lewis walked around a corner just then and saw the pair talking. He raised an eyebrow wondering.

"Hmm...?"

* * *

Later Lewis was still wondering as he started the tape recorder. Rose was gazing at the screen seeing the live feed from the wreck-Snoop Dog was moving along the starboard side ofthe hull, heading aft. The rectangular windows of A deck forward march past on the right. Becca sat on a table top, Thomas by her side again. And since Freddy the pomerianian was there in Rose's lap, he instantly began to bark like a maniac again.

"Freddy hush!" Rose scolded him.

"Blasted mutt..."Thomas muttered.

"I thought you liked dogs?" Becca whispered covering her mouth nonchalantly.

"I like your dog and large dogs. Little yippers like that always annoyed me." Thomas protested.

"Okay Freddy...that's it...back to the cabin with you." Lizzy said taking the dog and walking out.

"Well, now that's settled. Tell us some more about the diamond Rose." Brock said.

"The next day, Saturday, I remember thinking how the sunlight felt. As if I hadn't felt the sun in years..."Rose began while Brock slapped his eyes at the slow pace once more.


	6. Chapter 6

Rose took them on a journey back in time through their imaginations. She recalled the dinner party Jack attended and confirmed that he was indeed as splendid as Thomas proclaimed him to be. But then she regaled them with a splendid party Jack took her to in 3rd class. Thomas could practically here the beat of the Irish band that played. How he wished he had known about it! Then maybe he would have had some fun on board. But for some reason, he couldn't shake the image of Becca dancing in his arms at this 3rd class party he wished he had gone to.

Come to think of it the only fun he ever had in this existence as 'the ship's ghost' was when he was talking to Becca. Or when he followed her back to America during the brief interludes between expeditions. They had long walks, went to movies, went to dinner. Or sometimes they just stayed in and talked until the wee hours of the morning.

Thomas was brought back to reality when Rose told him how the following morning, Cal had told Rose he knew that she had gone to the party the previous night instead of coming to him. His valet, Lovejoy had followed them. Then he threw over the table and frightened her, demanding she never talk to Jack again. That had shaken her enough to try to avoid Jack all day. One little mystery had been cleared up for Thomas for that had been the day he had taken Rose, Ruth and Molly Brown on a tour of Titanic. Rose had gone missing for a moment, and now he knew why. Jack had pulled her aside to talk to her in the gym. He had asked her to meet her at the bow of the ship if she loved him. If not, he would leave her alone. Rose had met him. And it was there they shared their first of a precious few but meaniful kisses.

"That was the last time Titanic ever saw daylight." Rose said staring at the bow section lost in memories.

"I need more tape. Hang on I'll be right back." Brock said leaving the room.

"I can't believe Edward ignored so many warnings..." Thomas said to Becca. But she was gone from his side. She had been there just a moment ago. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Thomas left the room to search the ship for Becca. He found her at the bow of all places, climbing up on the railing.

"What on God's earth are you doing?" he asked confused.

"Trying to fly." Becca shrugged.

"Just when I think I've got you figured out." Thomas chuckled shaking his head.

"Come on. It's fun." she said.

"Alright. But remember I can't catch you if you fall overboard...and no one will hear my call for help." he said climbing up on the rail behind her. It did occur to Thomas that they were essentially recreating Jack's and Rose's magical moment, but this was pure whimsy between two friends. At least that was what he was telling himself.

"I'm trying to imagine what it would have been like on the Titanic." Becca said holding out her arms to steady herself. Thomas swallowed and told her,

"Close your eyes."

"What?" she asked with a laugh looking at him. But her expression dropped when he saw how deeply he was staring into her eyes.

"Close your eyes." he whispered into her ear. She obeyed and found herself listening to him as he said,

"You're 75 feet above the waves, with fifty feet more to the top of the four funnels and fifty feet below the surface to the bottom of the keel. 46,328 tons are displacing 52,310 tons of water and there's 882 ft 6 in of ship behind you...

"What? you guys couldn't afford six more inches?" she quipped trying to still the beating of her heart.

"...And there's endless sea before you. The ships hull is black as night but fitted with the jewels of about 2,000 portholes brighly lit with the electric lights within. The ship is sailing at over twenty knots, there's a strong rush of wind blowing your hair behind you, carressing my face like a gentle lover..."

He hesitated, not sure if he should go on.

"Thomas?" she questioned.

"You're looking radient in the setting sun. The last bright rays are turning your soft locks into pure gold. It's illuminating your skin and making your eyes sparkle like the stars just coming up over the horizon..." he said looking at her face. She turned her head and opened her eyes. She searched his handsome features when he began to tilt his head and lean in. She closed her eyes again.

But his lips just went through hers without so much as a tingle. His fingers couldn't intertwine with hers. He pulled away and looked to the deck as Becca swallowed and said,

"We're fooling ourselves Thomas."

"Becca..." he began.

"We should start heading back." she said climbing down and going through his form like walking through mist. He watched her walk back down below before he followed her. He found her back in the imaging shack where Brock had returned.

"So we're up to dusk on the night of the sinking. Six hours to go." Brock said changing the cassette in the tape recorder.

"Don't you love it? There's Smith, he's standing there with the iceberg warning in his fucking hand..." Lewis ranted before remembering Rose and continuing,

"... excuse me... in his hand, and he's ordering more speed."

"Twenty six years of experience working against him. He figures anything big enough to sink the ship they're going to see in time to turn. But the ship's too big, with too small a rudder... it can't corner worth shit. Everything he knows is wrong." Brock said.

Thomas shook his head. He'd heard all this before, but he still can't believe that so many errors in human judgement caused such a great disaster. But his thoughts are torn between Titanic and the young scientists who researches her. Becca wasn't even looking at him now. Rose was also ignoring this conversation between Lewis and Brock. She had the art-nouveau comb with the jade butterfly on the handle in her hands, turning it slowly. She was watching a monitor, which showed the ruins of Suite B-52/56.

"I took Jack back to my cabin that night. Everyone was already at dinner, so we were all alone. It was there I made Jack an interesting proposition..." she said while Brock began recording again.

She told them how she had shown Jack the diamond and how she had wanted him to draw her portrait wearing that...and only that. He complied with a blush, and Rose went on to tell them how the drawing came to be. How she had given him a dime (his standard rate), how nervous he had become when she dropped her robe. How his blue eyes looked directly at her while he sketched, how she teased him.

"My heart was pounding the whole time. It was the most erotic moment of my life... up till then at least." Rose told them coming back to the present.

"What, uh... happened next?" Lewis asked.

"You mean, did we "do it"?" Rose asked with a smile. Everyone exchanged a look and a smile.

"Sorry to disappoint you Mr. Bodine, but Jack was a true professional." Rose said. Just then the ships bell announced dinner time.

"If you'd like to stop for dinner we can." Brock told her.

"Yes, I would like the rest." Rose nodded while Lizzy took her chair and rolled her out.

"This way Mrs. C." Lewis said leading them. They all filed out, talking about the amazing story they had heard so far. All except Becca who lingered behind. Since they were alone, Thomas stood before her and said,

"Rebecca we have to talk."

"Not now thomas." she said getting up and leaving the imaging shack. He followed her and manifested in front of her blocking her path.

"You know you can't get away from me." he said.

"And you know I can walk right through you." she said ready to walk again. Thomas put his hand on the wall in an weak attempt to block her path.

"Becca please wait." he said. She stopped and leaned aganist the wall.

"Thomas...we can't do this." she said.

"Becca you can't deny what's happening between us." he said.

"There's nothing we can do about it Thomas! You're dead!" she hissed.

"But my soul lives on. Becca for the last three years you're the only person I've been able to connect to. But if everyone could see and hear me I would still only want to be by your side. Don't tell me you haven't imagined me on top of you? I would give anything to be able to make that a reality." he said huskily.

"Thomas there's nothing we can do about it. You're a ghost. Maybe that's what's keeping you from crossing over. You're holding on to a relationship that can never be." she said.

"Just answer me this. If it were possible..." he said.

"It's not..." she interrupted.

"But if it were! Would you want to?" he asked.

She searched his face and was quiet for several moments. Finally, she said in a small voice,

"Yes."

He lowered his arm and let her walk away. Becca walked into the mess and grabbed herself a sandwich.

"Hey Becs? You gonna join us?" Lewis asked from where he sat across Rose.

"I've got to get something in my room. I'll meet you back in the imaging shack." she said briefly before she left.

"Do you think Dr. Lovette is alright?" Rose asked looking at where the young lady had gone.

"Yeah, she's always going off to be by herself. That's just her way." Lewis said.

"Hmm." Rose nodded unconvinced. She noticed then that Lizzy and Brock were a table away, chatting and laughing. She smiled. It had been a while since she had seen Lizzy so happy.

"Mr. Bodine...Would you tell me about Mr. Lovette and his sister?" Rose asked.

"Sure. What do you want to know?" Lewis shrugged.


	7. Chapter 7

A semicircle of listeners had gathered around staring in rapt, frozen silence. The story of Jack and Rose had finally and completely grabbed them. Rose told them how Jack and Rose led Lovejoy on a merry chase all around the ship, even through the ships engine room. They lost him in the cargo hold, where she and Jack made love in the backseat of a car. Becca looked around for Thomas but he was no where to be seen.

They went up to the main deck where disaster struck. Literally. They saw the iceberg as Titanic scraped past. They tried to find Cal and Ruth to tell them what happened, when Cal accused Jack of stealing the diamond. Lovejoy had slipped it into his pocket.

Rose described the next few hours like a movie. How she had spit in Cal's face when she refused to get in the lifeboat. How she had to rescue Jack from the Master of Arms office as water began to flow in. How they had raced across the ship looking for a way out. Becca looked up again when Freddy began to bark. Thomas had remanisted. He put a finger to his lips and shushed the dog making him obey. He knelt before Rose while she said,

"I felt so sorry for Mr. Andrews. This great ship dying around him, the weight literally falling on his shoulders. I prayed that he would find peace in the afterlife."

Rose told them how they had scrambled to the stern, where they had first met. They had clung on to the railing as Titanic slipped into the sea. Rose and Jack had managed to swim to a piece of wood paneling, but it would only carry the weight of one. And Jack wouldn't let her back in the water. She held onto his hand for hours, shivering aganist the cold. She thought she would die. She tried to say her goodbyes, but Jack wouldn't let her. He made her promise him to live a long and happy life. To have adventures and marry and have children and grandchildren and die old in her bed. Jack would soon sucumb to the same fate as so many others. Frozen to death in the Atlantic. And Rose kept her promise, signaling for the one lifeboat sent back for the survivors.

"Fifteen hundred people went into the sea when Titanic sank from under us. There were twenty boats floating nearby and only one came back. One. Six were saved from the water, myself included. Six out of fifteen hundred."

As she speaks she slowly looked across the faces of Lizzy and the salvage crew on Keldysh. Brock, Lewis, Bobby Becca, the others... the reality of what happened here 84 years before hit them like never before. With her story Rose had put them on Titanic in its final hours, and for the first time, they do feel like graverobbers.

And Brock, for the first time, has even forgotten to ask about the diamond.

"Afterward, the seven hundred people in the boats had nothing to do but wait... wait to die, wait to live, wait for an absolution which would never come." Rose said going on to describe how the Carpathia had come to rescue the survivors with the dawn. Rose had found herself in the steerage section of the passengers. Cal had come looking for her. She hid her face from him beneath a blanket.

"That was the last time I ever saw him. He married, of course, and inherited his millions. The crash of '28 hit his interests hard, and he put a pistol in his mouth that year. His children fought over the scraps of his estate like hyenas, or so I read. Mother survived, but I never sought her out. Partly because I didn't want her to lose the insurance money she got after my death. But I was also afraid she would pull me back into that life I lived before Titanic, just for the sake of her trying to forget it ever happened. Can you exchange one life for another? A caterpillar turns into a butterfly. If a mindless insect can do it, why couldn't I? Was it any more unimaginable than the sinking of the Titanic?" she asked them. Her story done she sat with the group in the Imaging Shack, lit by the blue glow of the screens. She held the haircomb with the jade butterfly on the handle in her gnarled hands.

"We never found anything on Jack. There's no record of him at all." Lewis said sadly. Becca thought back to a few days ago when Thomas had first mentioned Jack Dawson. Then he had only been a name. But now he was a person. An amazing soul that lived a great life, as short as it was.

"No, there wouldn't be, would there? And I've never spoken of him until now, not to anyone." Rose looked to Lizzy and continued, "Not even your grandfather. A woman's heart is a deep ocean of secrets. But now you all know there was a man named Jack Dawson, and that he saved me, in every way that a person can be saved. I don't even have a picture of him. He exists now only in my memory."

Becca took a deep shaking breath as the Mir submersibles made their last pass over the ship. She heard Yuri the pilot on the UQC:

"Mir One returning to surface."

Becca watched the sub rise off the deck of the wreck, taking its light with it, leaving the Titanic once again it its fine and private darkness. Rose had closed her eyes, remembering Jack's face. She opened them again and looked sweetly at Brock.

"Did my tale help you at all Mr. Lovette?" Rose asked. Brock looked up at Rose and nodded,

"Yes it did Rose. Thank you."

"You're welcome Mr. Lovette. Now...I think it's time I got ready for bed. Goodnight." Rose said while Lizzy rolled her out. Everyone was quiet a moment. Brock looked at Becca who knew what he was thinking. She nodded gently.

"Bobby?" Brock said.

"Yeah Brock?"

"Tell Dave and Barry to pull the plug." Brock said.

"I'll have to wait until Monday morning. They went up to their cabin for a few days." Bobby said.

"That's fine Bobby." Becca told him.

"Well...there's always pirate gold in the caribbean boss." Lewis shrugged before he and some of the other crew members filed out. Becca noticed that Thomas had vanished the moment Rose had finished her story. Only Brock and Becca were left alone in the imaging shack.

"It is still important we perserve the artifacts Brock." Becca told him.

"I know. But next time we're going to do it for the right reasons." Brock said.

"We'll find another investor Brock. One who's interested in history...not diamonds." Becca said.

"Right. I'm gonna go to my cabin awhile...I just...I just need to be alone right now." Brock said. She nodded and let him go, thinking about Thomas again. Suddenly, she needed to be alone to think right now too.

* * *

Thomas put down the pen and sighed as he took in the note he had just written. Freddy was on the bed, panting happily as he looked at him. It had taken him almost a year to be able to write again. And this was a note that needed to be written. Just then the handle of the cabin door jiggled and he waited.

In came Rose, pushed by Lizzy.

"You sure you don't need any help getting ready for bed Grandma?" Lizzy asked.

"I'll be fine dear. Now Mr. Bodine told me the crew is going to have a little party tonight. Why don't you go to it? Have some fun?" Rose said.

"Okay...Grandma?" Lizzy began.

"Yes dear?" Rose asked.

"I understand now. Why you never mentioned titanic before." Lizzy said.

"I love you dear. Goodnight." Rose said patting her granddaughters hand.

"I love you too. Goodnight." Lizzy said kissing her grandmother's cheek and leaving the cabin. Thomas watched Rose sigh and get her cane to lift her to her feet. That was when she noticed something on the desk. She shuffled over and picked up the piece of paper.

"Oh!" she gasped a trembling hand covering her mouth. Jack. It was a drawing of Jack! but who could have drawn it? the crew hadn't known of jack's existence let alone what he looked like. She saw a small note written below the drawing of her love.

_'I was never as fine an artist as your Mr. Dawson. But I hope this brings you some joy. Take care of yourself Young Rose._

_Thank you for your kindness,_

_Thomas Andrews_

_(aka the Keldysh Ghost)_

Rose smiled and held the picture close to her heart closing her eyes.

"Thank you Mr. Andrews." she whispered.

"Thank you Rose." he said, his words falling on deaf ears as he vanished. Rose kissed Jack's portrait and propped it up in one of her picture frames before turning to her nightgown. Then...she looked at her suitcase. There was one last thing she had to do.

* * *

A desultory wrap party for the expedition was in progress. There was music and some of the co-ed Russian and America crew were dancing. Lewis was getting drunk in the aggressive style of Keith Richards.

Brock stood at the rail, looking down into the black water. In his hand he held a cigar. Lizzy came to him and leaned on the rail shaking her head,

"I'm sorry." she said.

"Three years, I've thought of nothing except Titanic; but I never got it... I never let it in." Brock said. Then he looked over at Lizzy and smiled.

"Would you like to dance?"

Lizzy grinned at him and nods. He took her hand and led her to the party on deck.

Becca was a deck above and she smiled seeing this. She was glad Brock seemed to have met someone. And anyone related to Rose De Witt Bukater Dawson Calvert had to be alright.

"Hello Rebecca." came an Irish lilt behind her. She turned and saw Thomas smiling gently at her.

"You're going to go aren't you?" she asked.

"You were right. The only thing holding me back...was me. I just...I don't want to hold you back Becca. You deserve a man who won't just love you...but actually hold you in his arms." he said.

"Thomas..." she began. He held up a hand for silence.

"You're a bright, beautiful, passionate young woman Dr. Rebecca Ann Lovette. And I'm glad that you called me a friend. And that I got to feel this way before I take my final journey." Thomas said.

"I'll miss you." Becca said tearing up.

"And I'll miss you. But I'll always hold you in my heart Becca." he said.

"And you'll be in mine." Becca said.

"Goodbye Becca." Thomas said as he faded away one last time.

"Goodbye...:" she said with a tear trailing down her cheek. She didn't even bother to wipe it off. She tried to watch the party below. But seeing the crew dancing and laughing and Brock and Lizzy flirting was too painful right now. Then she squinted her eyes seeing something else on the other side of the ship. Rose was walking through the shadows of the deck machinery. Her nightgown blew in the wind. Her feet were bare. Her hands were clutched at her chest, almost as if she was praying. Becca's eyes opened wide with realization.

"CRAP!" she shouted running down the stairs from the top deck, hauling ass.

Rose reached the stern rail. Her gnarled fingers wrapped over the rail. Her ancient foot stepped up on the gunwale. She pushes herself up, leaning forward. She looked down, seeing the black water glinting far below.

"Wait! Don't-" Becca said coming to a stop before her out of breath.

Rose turned her head, looking at her. She turned further, and Becca saw she had something in her hand, something she was about to drop overboard.

It was the "Heart of the Ocean".

Becca gasped seeing Brock's holy grail in Rose's hand and her eyes go wide. Rose kept it over the railing where she can drop it anytime.

"Don't come any closer." Rose warned her.

"You had it the entire time?" Becca asked in shock.

Rose remembered standing on the deck of the Carpathia as they past the Statue of Liberty. It was pouring down rain and she had just given the crew member her name as Rose Dawson. She had her hands in her pockets. She stopped, feeling something, and pulled out the necklace. She had stared at it in amazement. That's when she remembered Cal had given her his coat. And he must have stuffed the necklace in the pocket. How it stayed there she had no clue.

"The hardest part about being so poor, was being so rich. But every time I though of selling it, I thought of Cal. And somehow I always got by without his help." Rose told her with a smile at Becca's incomprehension.

"Don't drop it Rose. Look, Rose, I... I don't know what to say to a woman who tries to jump off the Titanic when it's not sinking, and jumps back onto it when it is...we're not dealing with logic here, I know that... but please... think about this a second." Becca reasoned with her.

"I have. I came all the way here so this could go back where it belongs." Rose said the massive diamond glittering in the moonlight. Becca edged closer and held out her hand.

"Just let me hold it in my hand, Rose. Please. Just once." she asked coming closer to her. It occurred to Rose that this was reminiscent of Jack slowly moving up to her at the stern of Titanic. Surprisingly, she calmly placed the massice stone in the palm of Becca's hand, while still holding onto the rail. Becca gazed at the object of their three year quest. An infinity of cold scalpels glint in its blue depths. It was mesmerizing. It fit in her hand just like Brock imagined.

"My God." Becca gasped her grip tightening on the diamond. She looked up, meeting Rose's gaze. Rose's eyes are suddenly infinitely wise and deep.

"You look for treasures in the wrong place, Dr. Lovett. Only life is priceless, and making each day count." she told the young woman.

Becca considered her words and looked back down at the stone.

"Can I ask you something Rose?" Becca asked.

"Of course."

"What did you wish for?" Becca asked.

"You mean, why didn't I wish for Jack to live again?" Rose asked.

"Yeah." Becca nodded.

"I did. Many times. But I stopped when I realized I had already used up my wish." Rose said.

"What did you wish for Rose?" Becca asked again.

"I remember standing on the deck of the Carpathia, wishing that Mr. Andrews would find happiness in the afterlife." Rose said.

"Mr. Andrews?" Becca asked surpised.

"He died so violently, and with so much guilt. But now I know that my wish came true." Rose smiled pulling out a slip of folded paper from the pocket of her nightgown. She handed it to Becca who gasped when she saw the note.

"Thomas..."she whispered. But Rose was old, not deaf, and she smiled and said,

"Dr. Lovette, since it's obvious you knew him personally, I'm most curious about how Mr. Andrews found himself as the ships ghost. Why don't you tell me about him?"

Becca smiled and nodded joining her at the rail.


	8. Chapter 8

It was strange. He felt as if he was flying but he was in fact going beneath the waves. He saw Titanic, as he had on so many dives down on the Mir subs. Suddenly with a flash of light Titanic was restored to her former glory and he found himself entering the doors of first class. Two stewards opened the doors and nodded to him.

"Good evening Mr. Andrews." one nodded. Thomas looked at them in confusion until he looked up and saw Captain Edward Smith waiting with Molly Brown.

"Hiya Tom!" Molly smiled.

"Welcome aboard Mr. Andrews." Captain Smith nodded. He shook Smith's hand and asked,

"Where are we?"

"Titanic...sort of." Smith said.

"It's our own personal slice of heaven. Nice huh?" Molly added.

"So...even survivors of Titanic come here?" Thomas asked.

"When they finally past on yes. And if they believe in the trinity. We're expecting another arrival tonight. And we're having a sort of formal celebration to welcome you both." Smith said.

"Why didn't I come here sooner?" Thomas asked.

"We don't know. There was something up there keeping you from joining us and then you ended up as a ghost on that ship." Molly said.

"We were hoping you knew." Smith chuckled.

"No. I have no idea why I ended up as a ghost." Thomas said.

"Well I'll have Rodgers show you your cabin. I'll trust you'll want to dress for dinner. Althought if you don't care to that's alright. The class distinctions went away after we all died." Smith said.

"This way Mr. Andrews." said the valet. Thomas looked to the Captain and the Unsinkable Molly Brown once more before he followed the valet. To his surprise, he saw he was being led to cabin A-36, his old cabin.

"All your clothes have been put up and away sir." Rodgers said opening the door and letting him in. Thomas nodded,

"Thank you."

"Will there be anything else sir?" Rodgers asked.

"No. Thank you." Thomas said still unsure about all this. He didn't understand. He should have been happy. He had finally crossed to the other side, and to a heavenly version of Titanic no less, but all he could think about was a cramped science vessel and the beautiful scientist he left behind. He shook himself in a attempt to convince himself that the feeling would pass, this is where he belonged and that Becca would be better off without him. He went to his wardrobe and found his tails waiting for him.

* * *

"So then he said 'goodbye' and he crossed over." Becca told Rose finishing her story. It wasn't as long as Rose's had been. Nor did it take Rose on a journey through her imagination. But it didn't take a genius to figure out how the young woman felt for Mr. Andrews.

"And now you have in your hands a means to bring him back to life. The question is, what do you wish for Dr. Lovette?" Rose asked. Becca stared at the 'Heart of the the Ocean' for what seemed like an eternity. Then her fingers relaxed. She opened them slowly. Gently she slipped the diamond out of her hand. She felt it sliding away. She placed it in Rose's hand and said,

"I just want him to be happy."

Then, with an impish little grin, Rose tossed the necklace over the rail. Becca watched it hit the water and disappear forever. Becca went through ten changes before she settled on a reaction. She laughed. She laughed until tears came to her eyes. Rose joined her laughter and smiled, looking up to the stars. Becca figured that this was one secret, one of many, that she'll keep locked away in her heart. Besides, the diamond wasn't going anywhere. It could always be 'discovered' later. She watched as the diamond sank, twinkling end over end, into the infinate depths.

* * *

Brock had returned to his cabin in infinately better spirits. Now that he knew the great love story between Rose and Jack, he was determined to find the diamond, not for the reward, but for the symbol of their story. He saw the tapes on his desks and decided to listen again. He found one and hit play to listen to the story again.

_BARK! BARK BARK!_

_"Freddy hush!"_

_"Blasted mutt..."_

That made Brock pause in wonder. Who was that? There were no Irishmen aboard.

_"I thought you liked dogs?" _he heard his sister ask in a whisper.

_"I like your dog and large dogs. Little yippers like that always annoyed me." _came the voice.

_"Okay Freddy...that's it...back to the cabin with you."_

_"Well, now that's settled. Tell us some more about the diamond Rose."_

_"The next day, Saturday, I remember thinking how the sunlight felt. As if I hadn't felt the sun in years..."_

But Brock was too in shock to hear the rest. He stopped and rewound the tape to listen again.

* * *

Becca sighed as she stared at the water. Rose had returned to bed a while ago. But she remained, still thinking about Thomas.

_"Blasted mutt..."_

"Thomas?" Becca asked spinning around. She froze when she saw Brock standing there, a tape recorder in hand.

_"I thought you liked dogs?"_ she heard her own voice reply.

_"I like your dog and large dogs. Little yippers like that always annoyed me."_ said Thomas' voice.

Brock stopped the tape and said,

"Care to tell me what's going on Becs?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Becca sighed.

"Try me." Brock said folding his arms.

"It all started three years ago..." Began said, beginning to tell the same story for the second time that night.

* * *

She felt herself flying.

She found herself hoving over her old body, seemingly asleep in her bed. She looked at her carefully arranged pictures one last time. Rose as a young actress in California, radiant... a theatrically lit studio publicity shot... Rose and her husband, with their two children... Rose

with her son at his college graduation... Rose with her children and grandchildren at her 70th birthday. A young Rose posing in front of a biplane with an aviators outfit. A collage of images of a life lived well.

Her eyes stopped on a picture circa 1920. She was at the beach, sitting on a horse at the surfline. The Santa Monica pier, with its rollercoaster is behind her. She was grinning, full of life. She laughed softly to herself as she faded into the blackness. She felt not above, but below the waves, where the wreck of Titanic loomed like a ghost out of the dark. It was lit by a kind of moonlight, a light of the mind. She passed over the endless forecastle deck to the superstructure, moving faster than subs can move.

She went inside, and the echoing sound of distant waltz music was heard. The rust faded away from the walls of the dark corridor and it was transformed. Bright sunshine was shining through the windows and the great ship was restored. She found her own feet walking the decks again. She came onto the grand staircase, where two valets opened the doors with a warm smile. The staircase was lit by glowing chandelier. The music was vibrant now, and the room was populated by men in tie and tails, women in gowns. She also saw the faces of thrid class passengers, now also in their best dress. She saw Jack's friends Tommy and Fabrizo. She saw the little girl Cora that Jack had danced with wave to her from her father's arms. She saw the Captain. And Molly Brown. And Thomas Andrews. Looking handsome in his white tie and tails. It was exquisitely beautiful.

She looked up and saw a blonde man standing with his back towared her staring at the clock. He turned and she saw it was Jack. Smiling he held out his hand out toward her. Rose went into his arms, a girl of seventeen again. The passengers,officers and crew of the RMS Titanic smile and applaud in the utter silence as Jack kisses her, putting all the passion waiting 84 years built up.


	9. Chapter 9

Captain Smith smiled to the waiting crowd and proclaimed,

"Let the celebration begin!"

Everyone began to chat and laugh again. Jack held onto Rose's hand as they decended the staircase.

"Welcome aboard Miss Rose." Captain Smith told her.

"Thank you Captain." Rose nodded.

"Mr. Dawson has been most anxious for your return." Captain Smith said.

"Well after eighty four years it got kinda old to just hang out with Tommy and Fabby all the time." Jack joked.

"We should take offence to that!" shouted Tommy as he and Fabrizo balanced plates of food from the nearby buffet. Rose laughed then saw Mr. Andrews at the bottom of the stairs.

"Give me a moment?" she asked Jack.

"Sure. Just waited eighty four years. What's a few more minutes?" Jack asked sarcastically. Rose playfully swatted him as she decended the stair to the shipbuilders side.

"Hello Young Rose." he said softly.

"Hello Mr. Andrews. I wish I had known I had an old friend aboard the Keldysh." Rose said with a smile.

"To be honest I didn't know how you would handle the presence of a ghost. Let alone a ghost that you had known. You look lovely Rose." he said. Rose looked down at her sparkling white gown, her red ringlets falling into her sight line.

"I'm just glad I'm not shrunken anymore." Rose laughed. He chuckled with her remembering the little old lady she had been. Rose turned serious and said,

"I saw Dr. Lovette before I went to bed."

"How was she?" Thomas asked.

"She just wanted you to be happy. But how can you be happy? When it's so obvious Mr. Andrews that you love each other?" Rose asked. Thomas looked at his shoes.

"Nothing really we can do about it now is there?"

"Isn't there?" Rose asked. She held out her hand and he did a double take seeing the Heart of the Ocean in the palm of her hand.

"What happened to 'you can't take it with you?'" thomas asked in shock. Rose giggled and put the necklace in his hand.

"I grabbed it on the way down. So the question now Mr. Andrews...what do you wish for?" Rose asked. Thomas looked up at Jack who had been overhearing the conversation. Jack just shrugged. Thomas looked around Titanic and all the passengers and crew. What was he to do?

* * *

"And that's when he crossed over." Becca said finishing her story.

"Wow...this whole time we had Thomas Andrews helping us." Brock said shaking his head.

"He really got into the dives. It was like he was discovering Titanic with new eyes. At least that's what he said." Becca said.

"You really liked this guy didn't you Becs?" Brock asked looking at her with realization. She smiled tearing up.

"He was my best friend." she said.

"Rebecca..."Brock prompted. Becca looked up at him, the tears falling down her cheeks.

"And I fell in love with a ghost. A wonderful, intelligent, handsome, kind ghost. Who I would give anything to see again." she sniffled with a shrug.

"Aw Becs..." Brock sighed looking at his sister with sympathy. He pulled his sister in for a hug around her shoulders, letting the silence linger over the ocean waves.

"Do you really mean that Becca?" came a familiar Irish lilt. Becca spun her head around, seeing thomas standing there, dressed now in white tie and tails.

"Oh my god..."Brock said stunned.

"You can see him?" Becca asked looking up at her brother in surprise.

"Uh-huh..." he nodded in shock.

Becca pulled away from her brother's grasp to stand before Thomas.

"Why are you here? Didn't you crossover? How can Brock see you? And hear you?" she began to rattle off. He held up a hand to silence her. Then he reached his hand out to her face. Becca froze. Instead of his hand going through her as it always did, she felt his warm calloused hand caress her face. He made a sound halfway between a gasp and a laugh. Becca put her hand over his and whispered,

"I can feel you..."

"I know..." he nodded. She wrapped her fingers around his wrist and waited. She felt the steady thump blood pumping.

"I can hear you're heart beating..." she said.

"I know." he said.

"You're alive?" Becca asked.

"He's alive?" Brock asked increduously.

"I am." Thomas laughed.

"YOU'RE ALIVE!" Becca shouted jumping into his arms. Thomas closed his eyes. He had waited three years for this moment. A moment he thought would never come.

"My wish came true." Thomas said twirling her around. Becca pulled back and asked,

"What about heaven? You're wife and daughter?" Becca asked.

"Helen moved on with her life when I died. And I'll see Elizabeth again one day. And though I wish I could see my daughter again, I know she would want me to be happy and let each moment I have count. And I'm going to. If you'll have me." thomas said keeping one hand on her face.

"Yes. Yes, yes yes!" Becca said wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him in for a kiss. He shut his eyes and moaned into her mouth deepening the kiss. Brock ran a hand through his hair and said, still in shock,

"Holy crap..."

* * *

While Brock was trying to figure out how they were going to explain Thomas Andrews sudden appearance on board, Lizzy had been fast asleep in her cabin when she felt someone sit on her bunk and gently call out to her.

"Lizzy? Lizzy dear wake up."

Lizzy opened her eyes and saw a red headed young woman with familiar blue eyes wearing a white gown smiling down at her. She saw a handsome young man with blonde hair and old fashioned clothing leaning aganist the door, waiting. Lizzy looked over and saw the portrait of her grandmother as a young actress. She looked to the bed seeing her grandmother's body in her bunk.

"Grandma?" Lizzy asked, wondering if she was dreaming.

"I need to go away now sweetheart. But I wanted you to meet Jack first." Rose said.

"Hi Lizzy. Thanks for taking care of Rose for me." Jack said.

"You're welcome." Lizzy told the young man.

"I want you to promise me something Lizzy." Rose asked.

"What?"

"Promise me to go on lots of adventures. To fall in love again. To get married and have babies. And grow old and die in your bed." Rose said.

"I promise." Lizzy said.

"And you have to promise to make each day count. Can you do that for us Lizzy?" Jack added.

"I promise." Lizzy nodded.

"Goodbye sweetheart. I love you." Rose said.

"Wait. Will I ever see you again?" Lizzy asked.

"One day. But not until after you fullfill your promise. Alright?" Rose asked.

"Yes Grandma. I love you." Lizzy said.

"Bye Lizzy." Jack said helping Rose to stand.

"Bye Jack." Lizzy said. Rose giggled with Jack as he pulled her through the cabin door. Lizzy laid down and closed her eyes a moment, before she sat up again. Thinking she had just awoken from a dream, Lizzy tossed back the covers and gently tried to wake her grandmother.

"Grandma? Grandma wake up. I just had the most amazing dream. I saw Jack and..." but she stopped when she realized how still her grandma was. She saw a piece of paper clutched to her grandmothers chest. She pulled it away and saw the portrait of the same young man she had seen in her dream.

"Holy crap..." Lizzy breathed.

* * *

Up on the Keldysh deck, Jack pulled Rose towards the stern to greet the rising sun. Rose looked over her shoulder seeing Mr. Andrews walk hand in hand with Dr. Lovette on one of the upper decks.

"Sure is different than Titanic. Sure you want to go back? I think this tub has an opening for a ship ghost." Jack asked her.

Rose looked into his eyes and smiled,

"You jump, I jump remember?"

"Right." he nodded giving her a kiss. Then, they climbed up the railing...and jumped, turning to flashes of light fading away with the night.


	10. Epilouge

15 years later,

"Thanks Bob. I'm standing at the National History Museum as staff prepares for a special gala commencing the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, where a century ago, 1500 souls lost their lives in the greatest maritime diaster of the twentith century. And one of the items on display is the stunning 56 caret blue diamond necklace called, 'the Heart of the Ocean'. It was discovered fourteen years ago admist the stern section of Titanic by treasure hunter Brock Lovette, his sister Dr. Rebecca Lovette-Andrews and her husband titanic historian Thomas Andrews." reported the newsachor on CNN.

Watching the report in house in California was a little brown haired girl, about five years old. She clutched a teddy bear wearing a White Star line captain's uniform. The little girl smiled as they cut to a live video feed of the Keldysh.

"And now here to talk to us about the importance of their discovery and the anniversary of the Titanic, Thomas Andrews via satallite. Good morning Thomas." the reporter said as a handsome man in his late forties with gray hair came on the screen.

"Morning Susan." the man in a sweater and blue jeans said.

"First of all I've got to ask. You're Irish, and your name is Thomas Andrews. Any relation to the famed shipbuilder of Titanic?" Susan asked.

"Prehaps." Thomas shrugged with a twinkle in his eye.

"Anyway fourteen years ago you and your wife and brother in law led an expedition to find the Heart of the Ocean after hearing the story of Rose Calvert. A 100 year old first class survivor who had fallen in love with a thrid class artist named Jack Dawson, who's artwork you also recovered. But sources tell us that Brock and Becca were about to give up finding the gem after hearing Rose's story. What happened?" Susan the newsanchor asked.

"We realized that someone was going to pull it up anyway. It might as well been people who cared about what the diamond represented. It's a symbol of a moment in time. When two people from different worlds shared their first intimacy of true love." Thomas replied.

"In fact you all only took a small percent of the standard finders fee treasure hunters ask for. I suppose you all think rather highly of Titanic." Susan said.

"Yes Susan. For I always say she's not just a ship that sank. She's a ship that lived." Thomas said.

"Well said. So what are you searching for now?" Susan asked.

"We're actually working with 3d artists to compose a 360 degree computer model of the Titanic's interiors." thomas reported as the little girl watching the report smiled.

"Hey squirt! Come on the Skype's linking up." her thirteen year old sister reported poking her head into the room. The little girl grabbed her teddy bear and scrambled to the office where Lizzy sat before the computer.

"You ready to say hi to your Mommy?" Lizzy asked pulling the little girl up in her lap.

"Yeah." the little girl said.

"Here we go." Lizzy said making the connection. Becca's face came on the screen and smiled,

"Hey sweetheart!"

"Hi Mommy." the little girl said.

"Hi Becca. Where's Brock?" Lizzy asked.

"Your husband is coming up from a dive. He should be in a few minutes." becca reported.

"Well tell him the twins can't be here. They're in detention. And the boys are fully aware they're going to miss talking to their father." Lizzy said.

"Will do. So how are my girls?" Becca asked.

"We're good Mom. Where's Da?" asked the oldest girl.

"Here I am. Sorry they wanted to interview me for CNN." Thomas said rushing into the lab.

"Because the last time Mommy tried to be interviewed she threw up. Right Mommy?" the little girl asked.

"Right honey..." Becca blushed at the memory.

"So Rosie? Molly? How are my favorite women in the world?" Thomas asked.

"What am I chopped liver?" Becca asked teasing him.

"Never." Thomas said pecking her lips.

"Eww!" chorused the girls.

"Alright, alright...how's school?" Thomas laughed.

"I'm gonna be a princess in the school play!" Little Molly replied.

"And I'm sewing her costume." Rosie said.

"When is it? we'll have to come home to see it." Becca asked.

As they continued to talk, the sunshine from the nearby window danced over the pictures on the fireplace mantel. One was of Becca and thomas' seaside wedding. Another was of Brock and Lizzy in front of a Las Vegas wedding chapel. There were pictures with dogs, camping trips, Thomas holding Rosie when she was born, another of Becca holding Molly as a baby. Lizzy with her arms full of twins, Brock by her side. A trip to Paris and then a trip to Disney World. Trips of expeditions on the Keldysh with Uncle Lewis and a formal unveiling of the Heart of the Ocean. Finally a current family portrait of Thomas, Becca and their daughters with Brock, Lizzy and two red headed eight year old boys and two dogs. That picture was next to the picture of Great Grandma Rose horseback riding on the beach near the Santa Monica pier. And next to that, Thomas' framed sketch of Jack Dawson, who always made each moment count.

The End


End file.
